RS 216 "Early Christianity" Professor Trumbower Spring Semester, 2002
Section A MWF 2:30-3:20
Link to assignment for Mar 26, 2001, Athanasius, "The Life of St. Anthony"
Link to assignment for Apr 4, 2001, Sozomen, Ecclesiastical History, Book 5
Link to assignment for Apr 6, 2001, "The Plea of Symmachus," and the "Response of Ambrose"
The purpose of this course is to engage the student in the study of early Christianity in all its facets. This means that literary, sociological, political, and psychological questions are relevant, in addition to historical and theological questions. The period covered stretches roughly from 29 C.E. (the activity of John the Baptist and Jesus) to 476 C.E. (the traditional date for the "fall" of the Roman Empire in the west). This course presupposes no particular faith relationship to the material under study; students of all religious backgrounds are welcome. For example, when the issue of "orthodoxy" vs. "heresy" is treated, this class will not necessarily presume that the "orthodox" were always right and the "heretics" were always wrong. We will attempt to understand the issues from all sides. The student should come away with a better understanding of the development of early Christianity as it changed from its original status as an obscure Palestinian Jewish apocalyptic sect in the first century C. E. to become the official religion of the Roman Empire in the fourth and fifth centuries.
Required Books:
Bart D. Ehrman, After the New Testament: A Reader in Early Christianity (Oxford University Press, 1999)
Augustine, Confessions, trans. by Henry Chadwick (Penguin, 1991)
You will also need a bible containing both the Old and New Testaments. Any modern translation or any bible acquired for another course at St. Michael's will suffice.
Always bring with you to class the book(s) from which a reading is assigned for that day, be it the Bible, Ehrman, or Augustine.
Course Requirements:
I. Periodic pop-quizzes, short writing assignments, and class participation: 30% of the grade. The quizzes are designed to be very easy for those who have completed the assigned reading, and impossible for those who have not. An unexcused absence will result in a zero on the quiz, so attendance is key. If you are ill, please let me know so that the quiz may be counted as an excused absence. Make-up quizzes will not be given. Short, one-page writing assignments will be assigned throughout the semester, which will be included in this grade. Students who are active and thoughtful participants in class discussions will be rewarded with a significant boost in this grade. Multiple unexcused absences will result in a significant diminution of this grade.
II. One mid-term examination, given on March 12, 20% of the grade.
III.. Research Paper (25% of the grade). Each student will write a 7-8 page research paper (double-spaced, one-inch margins) with proper citations of primary and secondary sources, due on April 30. Each student MUST discuss the topic with the professor, either in person or via email, by April 2 at the latest. A one-page prospectus with bibliography on your paper topic is due that day. The prospectus itself will be graded as one of the short writing assignments. Also with the paper you must turn in your research notes and copies of xeroxes you made in preparing the paper.
VI. Final Examination (25% of the grade).
Academic Integrity
Consistent with the policies of St. Michael's College, each student is to do his or her own work. Of course, studying together for exams is encouraged, but anyone who cheats on an exam will receive a zero on that exam. Cheating includes (but is not limited to) giving or receiving answers on an exam, or using unauthorized notes during an exam. Once an exam begins, no one will be allowed to leave the room except in dire emergency. In the research paper, all ideas from, allusions to, summaries of, and citations of others' works must by properly acknowledged. Procedures for doing so will be discussed in class. Claiming someone else's ideas as your own is called plagiarism, and will result in a zero on the paper, meaning probable course failure. In the last several years I have given zeroes to four students for various types of plagiarism on papers. Each one as a result failed the course, and has a notation of plagiarism on file in the associate dean's office. DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU! If you have any questions about what constitutes plagiarism, consult with me immediately. All assignments are due at the beginning of class on the due date. Late assignments will be accepted for up to one week at a penalty of one full letter grade.
Grading Scale
A = 92-100; A- = 90-91; B+ = 88-89; B = 82-87; B- = 80-81; C+ = 78-79; C = 72-77; C- = 70-71; D+ = 68-69; D = 60-67; F= 59 or below.
Office Hours
My office is in St. Edmund's Hall, Room 246, phone 654-2373. My email address is jtrumbower@smcvt.edu I will keep office hours MWF 11:20-12:00 and 1:30-2:30 (i.e., right before this class). I am available at many other times by appointment; see me before or after class.
Course Schedule
M Jan 15 Introduction.
W Jan 17 Overview of the Hebrew Bible and Judaism. Readings: Genesis 1-7; 11-12; 17; 25; 35; 46; Exodus 1-3; 13-14; 19-21; Deuteronomy 34
F Jan 19 Continue overview of the Hebrew Bible and Judaism. Readings: 2 Samuel 5-7; Psalm 2; 2 Kings 24-25; Psalm 89
M Jan 22 Jewish Apocalyptic Eschatology. Readings: Haggai (entire book); Zechariah 9 and 14; Malachi (entire book).
W Jan 24 Judaism and the Roman Empire at the time of Jesus. Readings: Pslams of Solomon 17 (handout); Three fragments from the Dead Sea Scrolls: 1QpHab, 1Qsa, and 4Q521 (handout). One-page writing assignment: compare the future "messiah" found in Psalms of Solomon 17 with what you know about the career of the historical Jesus.
F Jan 26 Reconstructing the historical Jesus. Readings: Ehrman, pp. 7-9; Mark 1-4 and 11:1-16:8
M Jan 29 Messianism in later Jewish History: the case of Shabbetai Tsevi. Readings: R. J. Z. Werblowsky, "Shabbetai Tsevi" in Mircea Eliade, ed., Encyclopedia of Religion (on reserve in the library); also read Luke 24
W Jan 31 The earliest Christian communities. Readings: Acts 1-10
F Feb 2 Jewish and Gentile Christians. Readings: Galatians (entire letter); Acts 11-15; Ehrman, pp. 134-139.
M Feb 5 The continuing issue of eschatology. Readings: 2 Peter (entire letter); Revelation 1-7; 13; 17-22.
W Feb 7 Developing church organization. Readings: Ehrman, 317-332.
F Feb 9 The development of the Jesus traditions. Readings: Mark 5:21-43; Matthew 9:18-26; John 1; Ehrman pp. 247-259. One-page writing assignment: Compare and contrast the two accounts of Jesus’ healings from the Mark and Matthew readings for today.
M Feb 12 Gnostics. Readings: Ehrman, 144-154 and 185-187.
W Feb 14 Marcionites. Readings: John J. Clabeaux, "Marcion" from The Anchor Bible Dictionary (on reserve in the library). *In-class debate!
F Feb 16 Montanists. Readings: "Selections on Montanism," on reserve in the library.
M Feb 19 Women in Early Christianity. Readings: 1 Timothy (entire letter from the New Testament); "The Acts of Thecla" in Ehrman, 278-284. One-page writing assignment: compare the roles assigned to Christian women in 1 Timothy and the "Acts of Thecla."
W Feb 21 Christians and Jews. Readings: Ehrman 95-97 and Justin's "Dialogue with Trypho" found in Ehrman, pp. 18-24 and 106-115
F Feb 23 Christians and Jews. Readings: Melito of Sardis, "On the Passover," found in Ehrman, pp. 115-128.
M Feb 26; W Feb 28; F Mar 2 (Spring Break)
M Mar 5 Roman persecution of Christians in the second century. Readings: Ehrman, 25-42.
W Mar 7 Persecution continued. "The Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicitas," found in Ehrman, 42-50.
F Mar 9 The Christian Apologists' response to Persecution. Readings: Ehrman, 51-53 and Justin, "First Apology," found in Ehrman, 57-65 and 347-349.
M Mar 12 Midterm examination
W Mar 14 The development of the New Testament canon. Readings: Ehrman, 309-316.
Other issues to be discussed: the Quartodeciman controversy and Monarchianism.
F Mar 16 Tertullian. Readings: Ehrman, 408-413 and Tertullian "On the Apparel of Women" (on reserve in the library)
M Mar 19 Origen. Readings: Ehrman 375-381.
W Mar 21 Origen. Readings: Ehrman, 413-429.
F Mar 23 The Decian persecution and its aftermath. Readings: 2-pg. Handout from J. Stevenson, A New Eusebius, pp. 214-217; Ehrman, pp.340-342.
M Mar 26 The Rise of Monasticism. Readings: Athanasius' Life of Antony (on reserve or on the web) One-page writing assignment: Discuss the characteristics of the ideal monk as described by Athanasius.
W Mar 28 The Great Persecution and the Rise of Constantine. Readings: Eusebius of Caesarea, "Life of Constantine the Great," (on reserve or on the web)
F Mar 30 Donatists. Readings: 4 pg. handout from Stevenson, A New Eusebius, pp. 298-303 and 308-309, plus Augustine, "On the Persecution of the Donatists" (handout). *In-class debate!
M Apr 2 Arian controversies. Readings: Ehrman, 430-436; 3-pg. handout from Stevenson, A New Eusebius, pp. 330-331 and 344-347. A one-page prospectus on your paper topic is due TODAY! (Counts as a short writing assignment).
W Apr 4 Julian the Apostate and the Solidification of Orthodoxy. Readings: Selections from Sozomen, Ecclesiastical History, Book 5 (on reserve).
F Apr 6 Ambrose of Milan. Readings: "The Plea of Symmachus" and Ambrose's response (on reserve or on the web).
M Apr 9 Slide lecture: Early Christian Art and Architecture. Reading: Graydon F. Snyder, "Early Christian Symbols," chapter 2 of his book, Ante Pacem:Archaeological Evidence of Church life before Constantine, on reserve in the library.
W Apr 11 Manichees and Pelagians. Readings: Chadwick, "Introduction" to Augustine's Confessions, pp. ix-xxvi.
F Apr 13 & M Apr 16 NO CLASS (Easter Break)
W Apr 18 Augustine's Confessions, Books I-II. One-page writing assignment: discuss how Augustine’s views of human nature are reflected in his descriptions of his own infancy and childhood.
F Apr 20 Augustine's Confessions, Books III-IV
M Apr 23 Augustine's Confessions, Books V-VII
W Apr 25 Augustine's Confessions, Books VIII-IX
F Apr 27 Issues in the post-Augustinian church. No new readings.
M Apr 30 Review for the final exam. No new readings. Research papers DUE.
Final Exam: Tuesday, May 8, 1:00-3:30 p.m.
HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!