Birmingham Theological Seminary
Dothan Extension meeting at
Westwood Presbyterian Church
5480 W Main St
Dothan, AL 36303
Fall 2015
HT4528 Early & Medieval Church History
Class Hours: 2
Professor: Pastor David Temples
Cell #: 334-796-2163
dtemples@westwoodpca.org
Course Purpose
This is a survey course that will introduce the student to the history of the Christian Church in the early and
medieval periods (100-1500 AD). The purpose of this course is to thoroughly acquaint the student with the
historical and theological development of key figures, movements and doctrines.
Course Objectives
1. The student will be able to understand the development of the church from 100-1500 AD.
2. The student will be able to name and discuss the contribution of main persons, events and councils in the
history of the Christian church during this period.
3. The student will be able to describe the development of Christian thought, with special emphasis on the
Trinity, church government, sacraments and the doctrine of justification.
4. The student will be able to define the major heresies and schisms in the early centuries of the Christian
church.
5. The student will be able to articulate the events leading up to the Protestant Reformation.
Course Texts
*Bruce, F. F. The Spreading Flame: The Rise and Progress of Christianity from Its First Beginnings to the
Conversion of the English, Volume I: A.D. 1 to 800. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1980.
Didache. Online at www.ccel.org.
Eusebius: The Church History. trans. Paul L. Maier. Kregel Academic, 2007. Or, online at www.ccel.org.
St. Augustine. Confessions. trans. Henry Chadwick. Oxford Paperbacks, 2009. Or, online at www.ccel.org.
Temples, D. D. Thomas Aquinas’ Doctrine of Penance. Unpublished. 2002. Will be provided in class.
*Certificate students will complete the readings from The Spreading Flame. Other readings will be optional.
Collateral Texts
Fairweather, Eugene, ed. A Scholastic Miscellany: Anselm to Ockham. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1956.
Gonzalez, Justo L. The Story of Christianity, Volume I: The Early Church to the Reformation. New York:
HarperCollins Publishers, 2010.
Course Requirements
1. Attendance and class discussion—20% of grade. Class discussions and questions are expected throughout the
entirety of the course. Regular attendance and active participation are essential elements to the learning process
and will help the student better understand some subjects that might not be covered in the lectures. Since
quizzes and examinations will draw heavily upon the lectures, regular class attendance is imperative.
2. Reading—20% of grade. Textbook assignments must be read prior to each class. Quizzes and examinations
will be derived from the lectures and readings so the student must prepare accordingly. *Certificate students
will complete the readings from The Spreading Flame.
3. Quizzes—20% of grade. 4 quizzes will be given throughout the semester. The questions will be derived from
the previous lectures and the prior readings. As such, the student needs to be familiar with those resources
before each class.
4. Summary papers—15% of grade. Five 1-page (maximum length) papers (double-spaced; Times New Roman
12 font) summarizing the students’ understanding of issues discussed in the class. The student will pick any five
topics from a list provided by the professor (the list provided following the “Further Reading” section of the
syllabus. These may be turned in at any time prior to the final exam. *Certificate students will complete three of
these.
5. Final exam—25% of grade. The final exam will be taken during the final class period and will include T/F,
multiple choice, fill in the blank, and short response questions.
Course Lectures and Assignments
*Certificate students will read the assignments from F.F. Bruce, The Spreading Flame
September 8th—The Dawn of Christianity (Bruce chapters 6,7,11,12; Eusebius pp. 35-80)
September 15th—The Apostolic Fathers (Didache; Bruce chapters 13-15; Eusebius pp. 80-104 )
September 22rd—Quiz 1; Jewish and Roman Persecution of the Church (Bruce chapters 16-17; Eusebius pp.
105-126)
September 29th—Perversions of Christianity (Bruce chapters 21, 25-29; Eusebius pp. 138-148)
October 6th—Quiz 2; Greek Apologists and Early Theologians
October 14th—Theological Turning Points, part 1
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October 21st—Quiz 3; Theological Turning Points, part 2
October 28th—FALL BREAK
November 3rd—Development of the New Testament (Bruce chapters 21-24)
November 10th—Augustine of Hippo (Bruce chapters 33-35; Augustine—due date for reading Confessions)
November 17th—Quiz 4; Monasticism, Papacy, and Scholasticism (Bruce chapters 30-33)
November 24th—Understanding the Theology of the Middle Ages (Bruce chapters 34-36; Aquinas paper)
December 1st—Pre-Reformation Developments
December 8th—FINAL EXAM
All course materials must be submitted to the professor at the end of the semester (last day of class). Thereafter,
course materials may be submitted for up to six weeks after the end of the semester directly to the office of the
registrar with the permission of the professor. If a student submits course materials after the end of the semester
but within the six week grace period, the student’s grade will be lowered by one letter grade. The course
materials will not be accepted after the six week grace period and a failing grade will be posted to the student’s
transcript.
Grading
1. Class attendance and discussion—20%
2. Reading—20%
3. Quizzes—20%
4. Summary Papers—15%
5. Final exam—25%
Further Reading
Bede. The Ecclesiastical History of the English People. New York: Oxford University
Press, 1999.
Berkhof, Louis. The History of Christian Doctrines. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1975.
Cairns, Earle E. Christianity Through the Centuries: A History of the Christian Church.
Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1981.
Comfort, Philip. ed. The Origin of the Bible. Tyndale House, 2012.
Cross and Livingston, eds. The Oxford History of the Christian Church. Oxford University Press.
Fairweather, Eugene, ed. A Scholastic Miscellany: Anselm to Ockham. Philadelphia:
Westminster Press, 1956.
Grant, Robert M. Second-Century Christianity: A Collection of Fragments. London:
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Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1946.
Greenslade, S. L., ed. Early Latin Theology. Louisville: Westminster Press, 1956.
Gonzalez, Justo L. The Story of Christianity, Volume I: The Early Church to the Reformation. New York:
HarperCollins Publishers, 2010.
Lightfoot, Neil R. How We Got the Bible. 3rd ed. Baker Books, 2010.
Pelikan, Jaroslav. The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine. Vol. 1-3.University of
Chicago Press, 1975.
Schaff, Philip. History of the Christian Church. 6 vols. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1910.
Stevenson, J. Creeds, Councils, and Controversies: Documents Illustrative of the History
of the Church A.D. 337-461. New York: Seabury Press, 1966.
Workman, H. B. Persecution in the Early Church. New York: Abingdon Press, 1960.
Topics for Summary Papers
1. What are the basic tenets of Montanism?
2. Describe Emperor Trajan’s policy of persecution for the Christian church.
3. Describe the life, conversion, and theology of Justin Martyr.
4. Identify and describe the theology of the two groups of Jewish “Christians” who perverted the teaching of the
early church.
5. Describe the key event and its aftermath which led to the Diocletian persecution.
6. Greek Apologists defended Christianity against charges of immorality by pagans. Describe and explain why
pagans made these accusations.
7. Explain the Gnostic view of man.
8. How can one explain the almost complete absence of a Pauline doctrine of justification in the theology of the
early church?
9. Describe the main tenets of the theology of Marcion.
10. Explain the Gnostic rationale for the docetic view of Christ.
11. Explain the reasons for the Council of Nicea and its outcome.
12. Explain the reasons for the Council of Constantinople and its outcome.
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13. Explain the reasons for the Council of Chalcedon and its outcome.
14. Describe the different views of humanity held by Augustine and Pelagius.
15. Explain the pros and cons of monasticism.
16. Discuss the development of the papacy. Include the contributions of Leo I, Gregory I, and Innocent III.
17. Explain scholasticism and the main theologians associated with this.
18. Describe the development of the New Testament canon.
19. Describe the development of the doctrine of justification to the time of the Reformation.
20. Describe the social and religious setting of Western Europe on the eve of the Reformation.
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