Religion 215: POLITICS AND PIETY IN EARLY CHRISTIANITIES
Wesleyan University (Fall 2011)
Professor Ron Cameron
Office: Department of Religion 208
Office Hours: Tues 1:00-2:00 Wed 4:00-5:00 Thurs 1:00-2:00
Classroom: Butterfield A413 (Tues Thurs 2:40-4:00)
E-mail: RCameron@wesleyan.edu
Office Telephone: 685-2299
Course Description
The first four centuries of the Christian era will illustrate the lively twists and turns of
social experimentation that set the stage for the emergence of the Christian religion. The
course will be concerned with fundamental arenas of intellectual and social conflict,
including: constructions of Christian myths of apostolic origins and authority; the
appropriation of the Jewish epic; the challenge of gnosticism; the domestication of Greek
philosophy; interpretations of the body, sexuality, and gender; experiences of martyrdom;
theological reflections on human nature and society; and the ways Christians were seen by
Romans. The objective will be to grasp the beginnings of Christianity as a human
achievement of cultural consequence.
Course Requirements
1. Punctual attendance at every meeting of the class.
2. Careful preparation of the assigned readings prior to each class. This course is designed to
develop skills in close reading. You will therefore need to keep up with the scheduled readings,
study them carefully, and come to every class with a solid grasp of the texts.
3. Informed, active participation in class discussions, worth 10% of your grade. I encourage you
to hone your ability to put forth ideas, to listen, to persuade, to object, to recognize the strengths
and weaknesses of the views of others (whether a classmate, the instructor, or an author), and to
foster mutual respect. I am aware that we have all been socialized to speak up or be silent, and
that, for various reasons, speaking in class may not come easily or naturally to some of you. If
so, please come talk with me early on in the term so that we can discuss ways of fostering these
important life skills.
4. Keep two notebooks, one for in-class notes, the other while preparing assigned readings in
advance of class. You should use the right-hand side of the page for taking notes, and the lefthand side to register queries, make comments, give citations (including those of your classmates,
with attribution), record observations, and the like.
5. First paper (5-6 pp.) due online on Fri., Oct. 7, worth 20% of your grade.
6. Second paper (5-6 pp.) due online on Fri., Oct. 28, worth 20% of your grade.
7. Third paper (5-7 pp.) due online on Tues., Nov. 22, worth 25% of your grade.
8. Final paper (5-7 pp.) due online on Fri., Dec. 17, worth 25% of your grade.
Course Textbooks
1. Harold W. Attridge, ed., The HarperCollins Study Bible: Student Edition (HarperCollins,
2006). ISBN: 9780060786841.
2. Elizabeth A. Castelli, Martyrdom and Memory: Early Christian Culture Making (Columbia,
2004). ISBN: 9780231129879.
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3. Richard I. Pervo, The Mystery of Acts: Unraveling its Story (Polebridge, 2008). ISBN:
9781598150124.
4. Cyril C. Richardson, Early Christian Fathers (Macmillan, 1970). ISBN: 9780684829517.
5. Robert L. Wilken, The Christians as the Romans Saw Them (Yale, 2003). ISBN:
9780300098396.
Course Xeroxes
1. Pliny, Epistles 10.96-97, in Radice, The Letters of the Younger Pliny (pp. 293-95)
2. Layton, The Gnostic Scriptures (pp. 5-22)
3. “The Hymn of the Pearl,” in The Gnostic Scriptures (pp. 366-75)
4. “The Letter of Peter to Philip,” in Robinson, The Nag Hammadi Library in English (pp. 39498)
5. “The Reality of the Rulers,” in The Gnostic Scriptures (pp. 65-76)
6. “The Gospel of Truth,” in The Nag Hammadi Library in English (pp. 38-51)
7. Origen, “On First Principles: Book IV,” in Greer, Origen (pp. 171-216)
8. Harnack, Marcion: The Gospel of the Alien God (pp. 1-3, 21-24)
9. Marcion’s “Antitheses,” in Meeks, The Writings of St. Paul (pp. 188-90)
10. Marcion’s “Apostolikon: Galatians” (4 pp.)
11. “Ptolemy’s Epistle to Flora,” in The Gnostic Scriptures (pp. 306-15)
12. “Acts of the Scillitan Martyrs,” in Musurillo, The Acts of the Christian Martyrs (pp. 86-89)
13. “Martyrdom of Saints Perpetua and Felicitas,” in The Acts of the Christian Martyrs (pp. 10631)
14. “The Acts of Paul and Thecla,” in Elliott, The Apocryphal New Testament (pp. 364-72)
15. Eusebius’s Church History 5.1 (pp. 139-48)
SYLLABUS
1. Sept. 6
INTRODUCTING THE STUDY OF EARLY CHRISTIANITIES
*Hegesippus’s Memoirs (179-189 C.E.), in Eusebius’s Church History 3.32:
“Until then the Church had remained a virgin, pure and uncorrupted, since those who were
trying to corrupt the wholesome standard of the saving message, if such there were, lurked
somewhere under cover of darkness. But when the sacred band of the apostles had in
various ways reached the end of their life, and the generation of those privileged to listen
with their own ears to the divine wisdom had passed on, then godless error began to take
shape, through the deceit of false teachers, who now that none of the apostles was left threw
off the mask and attempted to counter the preaching of the truth by preaching the
knowledge falsely so called.”
*Justin’s First Apology 26 (ca. 155-157 C.E.), in Eusebius’s Church History 2.13; 3.26:
“After the Lord was taken up into heaven the demons put forward a number of men who
claimed to be gods. These not only escaped being persecuted by you, but were actually the
objects of worship--for example Simon, a Samaritan from a village called Gittho, who in
Claudius Caesar’s time, thanks to the art of the demons who possessed him, worked
wonders of magic, and in your imperial city of Rome was regarded as a god, and like a god
was honoured by you with a statue in the River Tiber between the two bridges. . . . Almost
all Samaritans, and a few from other nations too, acknowledge him as their principal god,
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and worship him. And a woman named Helen, who travelled around with him at that time
and had previously lived in a brothel, they call the First Emanation from him. . . . Another
Samaritan, called Menander, from the village of Caparattaea, became a disciple of Simon
and like him was driven mad by the demons. It is known that he arrived in Antioch and
deluded many by magical trickery. He even persuaded his followers that they would not
die: and there are still some who on the strength of his assertion maintain this belief.”
2. Sept. 8
Topic 1: THE CHRISTIANS AS THE ROMANS SAW THEM
*xerox: Pliny, Epistles 10.96-97, in Radice, The Letters of the Younger Pliny (pp. 293-95)
*Wilken, The Christians as the Romans Saw Them, introduction, chaps. 1-2 (pp. xi-47)
3. Sept. 13 PHILOSOPHICAL CRITIQUES OF EARLY CHRISTIANITY
*Wilken, The Christians as the Romans Saw Them, chaps. 3-4 (pp. 48-93)
4. Sept. 15 RELIGIOUS CRITIQUES OF EARLY CHRISTIANITY
*Wilken, The Christians as the Romans Saw Them, chap. 5 (pp. 94-125)
5. Sept. 20 ON PAGANS, JEWS, AND CHRISTIANS
*Wilken, The Christians as the Romans Saw Them, chaps. 6-7, epilogue (pp. 126-205)
6. Sept. 22 Topic 2: CONSTRUCTING THECHRISTIAN EPIC
*New Testament: Gospel of Matthew
7. Sept. 27 THE MAKING OF THE CHRISTIAN EPIC
*New Testament: Acts of the Apostles
8. Sept. 29 Topic 3: INVENTING APOSTOLIC TRADITIONS
*“Clement’s First Letter,” in Richardson, Early Christian Fathers (pp. 33-73)
9. Oct. 4
CONSTRUCTING CHURCH ORDER
*New Testament: 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus
*“Letters of Ignatius,” in Richardson, Early Christian Fathers (pp. 74-120)
*“Letter of Polycarp,” in Richardson, Early Christian Fathers (pp. 121-37)
10. Oct. 6
Topic 4: ON THE HUMAN CONDITION
*xerox: Layton, The Gnostic Scriptures (pp. 5-22)
*xerox: “The Hymn of the Pearl,” in The Gnostic Scriptures (pp. 366-75)
*xerox: “The Letter of Peter to Philip,” in Robinson, The Nag Hammadi Library in English
(pp. 394-98)
*First Paper due Online on Fri., Oct. 7*
11. Oct. 11
THE CHALLENGE OF GNOSTICISM
*Hebrew Bible: Genesis 1:1-6:22
*xerox: “The Reality of the Rulers,” in The Gnostic Scriptures (pp. 65-76)
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12. Oct. 13
ON THE NEED, MEANS, AND EFFECTS OF SALVATION
*xerox: “The Gospel of Truth,” in The Nag Hammadi Library in English (pp. 38-51)
13. Oct. 18
Topic 5: EARLY CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS
*“First Apology of Justin,” in Richardson, Early Christian Fathers (pp. 225-89)
14. Oct. 20
IN DEFENSE OF CHRISTIANITY
*“Athenagoras’ Plea,” in Richardson, Early Christian Fathers (pp. 290-340)
*Oct. 25: FALL BREAK*
15. Oct. 27
EARLY CHRISTIAN HERESIOLOGICAL LITERATURE
*“Irenaeus’ Against Heresies,” in Richardson, Early Christian Fathers (pp. 343-97)
*Second Paper due Online on Fri., Oct. 28*
16. Nov. 1
Topic 6: SCRIPTURE AND INTERPRETATION
*xerox: Origen, “On First Principles: Book IV,” in Greer, Origen (pp. 171-216)
17. Nov. 3
CONTESTED READINGS OF THE “OLD” AND “NEW” TESTAMENTS
*New Testament: Letter to the Galatians
*xerox: Harnack, Marcion: The Gospel of the Alien God (pp. 1-3, 21-24)
*xerox: Marcion’s “Antitheses,” in Meeks, The Writings of St. Paul (pp. 188-90)
*xerox: Marcion’s “Apostolikon: Galatians” (4 pp.)
*xerox: “Ptolemy’s Epistle to Flora,” in The Gnostic Scriptures (pp. 306-15)
18. Nov. 8
Topic 7: MARTYRDOM AND PROSECUTION
*“Martyrdom of Polycarp,” in Richardson, Early Christian Fathers (pp. 141-58)
*xerox: “Acts of the Scillitan Martyrs,” in Musurillo, The Acts of the Christian Martyrs (pp.
86-89)
*Castelli, Martyrdom and Memory, introduction, chaps. 1-2 (pp. 1-68, 205-32)
19. Nov. 10 PERFORMING PERSECUTION, THEORIZING MARTYRDOM
*“Letter of Ignatius: To the Romans,” in Richardson, Early Christian Fathers (pp. 102-6)
*xerox: “Martyrdom of Saints Perpetua and Felicitas,” in The Acts of the Christian Martyrs
(pp. 106-31)
*Castelli, Martyrdom and Memory, chap. 3 (pp. 69-103, 232-47)
20. Nov. 15 MARTYRDOM AND THE SPECTACLE OF SUFFERING
*xerox: “The Acts of Paul and Thecla,” in Elliott, The Apocryphal New Testament (pp. 36472)
*xerox: Eusebius’s Church History 5.1 (pp. 139-48)
*Castelli, Martyrdom and Memory, chap. 4-5 (pp. 104-71, 247-71)
21. Nov. 17 MARTYRDOM AND MEMORY
*Castelli, Martyrdom and Memory, chap. 6, epilogue (pp. 172-203, 271-81)
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RELI 215: POLITICS & PIETY IN EARLY CHRISTIANITIES
*Nov. 22: NO CLASS (SOCIETY OF BIBLICAL LITERATURE ANNUAL MEETING)*
*Third Paper due Online on Tues., Nov. 22*
22. Nov. 29 Topic 8: CONSTRUCTING MYTH AS CHRISTIAN HISTORY
*New Testament: Acts of the Apostles
*Pervo, The Mystery of Acts, chaps. 1-3 (pp. 1-53)
23. Dec. 1
HOW ACTS TELLS ITS STORY
*Pervo, The Mystery of Acts, chaps. 4-5 (pp. 55-91)
24. Dec. 6
HISTORICAL PROBLEMS IN ACTS
*New Testament: Acts of the Apostles
*Pervo, The Mystery of Acts, chaps. 6-8 (pp. 93-149)
25. Dec. 8
POLITICS AND PIETY IN EARLY CHRISTIANITIES
*Pervo, The Mystery of Acts, chap. 9, appendix (pp. 151-72)
*Final Paper due Online on Fri., Dec. 16*
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