Early Church History: Pentcost to 1350 AD

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Course Details

Instructors:  Al Friberg & Randy Reid

Start Date: Tuesday, February 15, 2022

Duration:  Meets weekly for 12 classroom sessions

Time:  7:00 - 9:00 PM

Location:  Lower Valley Christian Fellowship, 1915 W 5th Street, Grandview WA

​Textbook:  Tim Dowley editor, A Short Introduction to the History of Christianity (Fortress Press 2018) [available in Kindle edition].  Students who are especially interested in pursuing studies of church history may want to opt for the complete Introduction to the History of Christianity 3rd edition on which the short version is based.

Cost:  $100 tuition. Students are responsible to get their own textbooks. It is also recommended that students get a 1" three ring binder for notes and handouts.

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Course Summary

This course was recently added to the curriculum as an elective. It is an introduction to Christian history covering the period from the birth of the church at Pentecost (Acts 2) through the outbreak of the plague known as the “Black Death” around 1350. Objectives include: 

• To instill in students an appreciation of the early centuries of Christianity during which the foundations of Christian orthodoxy were articulated and defended. 

• To learn of the challenges the early church faced from persecution and heresies.

• To introduce students to influential theologians who are generally unfamiliar to Christians today.

• To expose students to the important developments in the church during the often misunderstood period of the Middle Ages, including the schism between the eastern and western church.

• To generally encourage an interest in the important subject of church history.

The course will involve 12 classroom sessions meeting weekly for lecture and discussion. Six of the classes will focus on the first few centuries and five classes will focus on the church in the Middle Ages. Students will be encouraged to select a person or event from church history as a topic for a paper or a presentation to the class.