Week 1 Background 1
Tuesday (8/27)
Lecture 1: Introduction; geography and climate of the Roman world (download lecture slides)
Thursday (8/30)
Lecture 2: Video: From Jesus to Christ, episode 1
Reading 1: Ferguson, 48-136
Week 2 Background 2
Tuesday (9/4)
Lecture 3: Roman history and society (download lecture slides)
Reading 2: Ferguson, 161-234; Apuleius, Golden Ass, book 11 (download pdf)
Thursday (9/6)
Lecture 4: Mediterranean religions; early Judaism (download lecture slides)
Reading 3: Ferguson, 373-405, 480-501; HCSB, 4 Ezra (=2 Esdras 3-14; intro on p. 1588, text begins on p. 1593; link to e-text of 4 Ezra)
Week 3 30-65
Tuesday (9/11)
Quiz 1 on lectures 1-4, readings 1-3
Lecture 5: The New Testament as historical evidence (download lecture slides)
Reading 4: Ferguson, 502-532, 538-546
Thursday (9/13)
Lecture 6: Paul’s career and the first Jesus followers (download lecture slides)
Reading 5: HCSB, Galatians (link to e-text)
Week 4 65-70
Tuesday (9/18)
Discussion 1: Paul (download pdf of discussion questions)
Reading 6: Rousseau, 7-46 (download pdf of 7-65); HCSB, 1 Corinthians (link to e-text)
Thursday (9/20)
Lecture 7: The Gospels (download lecture slides)
Reading 7: Rousseau, 47-64 (download pdf of 7-65); HCSB, Gospel of Mark (link to e-text)
Week 5 75-100
Tuesday (9/25)
Lecture 8: Jesus and the Jesus movements to 100 CE (download lecture slides)
Reading 8: HCSB, Matthew 1-2, 5-7, 13, 21.1-11, 24-25, 26.47-56, 27.45-end; Luke 1-2, 6.17-49, 9.57-62, 10.25-42, 15.1-7, 19.28-44, 22.47-53, 23.39-end; compare parallel passages between Matthew (link to e-text), Luke (link to e-text), and Mark (View multiple Gospels in parallel on this site)
Thursday (9/27)
Library research session (MANDATORY)
Research resources and techniques handout
Brainstorming suggestions for research paper
Meet at the library, Room 426A
Week 6 100-140
Tuesday (10/2)
Quiz 2 on lectures 5-8, readings 4-8
Lecture 9: Themes in Luke-Acts; John's Logos theology (download lecture slides)
Reading 9: HCSB: Gen. 1-3 (link to e-text); John 1.1-18, 2.13-25 (link to e-text; cf. parallels in Mt, Mk, Lk), 4.1-26, 12.12-19, 14-17, 19.28-end; Acts 1-2, 5.1-11, 9.1-22, 10-11.18, 14-15 (link to e-text)
Thursday (10/4)
Lecture 10: Early Christian esotericism; social structure of early Christian groups (download lecture slides)
Reading 10: Hopkins, “Christian Number” (link to pdf); Ferguson, 300-315, 319-325; Ehrman, 237-244: Gospel of Thomas
Week 7 140-180
Tuesday (10/9)
Discussion 2: Acts of Thecla; Eusebius as historian (download pdf of discussion questions)
Reading 11: Ehrman, 278-284: Acts of Thecla; Eusebius, books 1 and 2
Thursday (10/11)
Lecture 11: "Gnosticism" and “orthodoxy” (download lecture slides)
Reading 12: Rousseau, 84-103 (download pdf), 124-136 (download pdf); Ehrman, 325-328: Ignatius; HCSB: 1 Timothy (link to e-text); Eusebius, book 3
Week 8 180-220
Tuesday (10/16)
Abstracts due on iLearn
Abstract assignment handout
Lecture 12: The rise of the bishop (download lecture slides)
Reading 13: Rousseau, 103-123 (download pdf); Ehrman, 387-399: Clement, The Instructor, selection; Eusebius, books 4 & 5
Thursday (10/18)
Discussion 3: Acts of Perpetua (download pdf of discussion questions)
Reading 14: Ehrman, 42-50: Martyrdom of Perpetua
Week 9 220-313
Tuesday (10/23)
Quiz 3 on lectures 9-12, readings 9-14
Lecture 13: Christianity in the third century (download lecture slides)
Reading 15: Rousseau, 136-152 (download pdf); Ehrman, 369-382: Origen, Homilies on Luke and Genesis; Ehrman, 413-430: selections from On First Principles; Eusebius, book 6
Thursday (10/25)
Lecture 14: Martyrdom and the consequences of persecution (download lecture slides)
Reading 16: Ferguson, 97-108, 360-369, 547-549, 556-571; Rousseau, 153-167 (download pdf); Ehrman, 82-94: Origen, selections from Against Celsus; Ehrman, 430-435: Novatian, On the Trinity; Eusebius, books 7 and 8
Week 10 313-325
Tuesday (10/30)
Lecture 15: Constantine: the first Christian emperor (download lecture slides)
Research proposal assignment handout
Reading 17: Rousseau, 214-220 (download pdf); Eusebius, books 9 and 10
Thursday (11/1)
Lecture 16: Constantine and the transformation of the church (download lecture slides)
Reading 18: Rousseau, 220-224 (download pdf); Trinitarian Controversy, 29-44
Week 11 313-325 II
Tuesday (11/6)
Discussion 4: Eusebius as church historian (download pdf of discussion questions)
No reading; prepare Eusebius, History of the Church
Thursday (11/8)
No class
Research paper conferences
Week 12
Tuesday (11/13)
No class
Research paper conferences
Thursday (11/15)
No class
Research proposals due on iLearn
Research proposal assignment handout
Thanksgiving Break
Week 13
Tuesday (11/27) 325-379
Quiz 4 on lectures 13-16, readings 14-18 (including reading for today)
Lecture 17: The Council of Nicea and its aftermath (download lecture slides)
Reading 19: Rousseau, 224-231 (download pdf); Trinitarian Controversy, 51-62
Thursday (11/29)
Lecture 18: Asceticism and monasticism (download lecture slides)
Reading 20: start Life of Anthony; Anthony, Letters (download pdf)
Week 14
Tuesday (12/4)
Discussion 5: Life of Anthony (download pdf of discussion questions)
Reading 21: finish Life of Anthony; Pachomian Rule (download pdf)
Thursday (12/6)
Lecture 19: The Trinitarian Controversy (download lecture slides)
Reading 22: Trinitarian Controversy, 63-130
Week 15 379-395
Tuesday (12/11)
Quiz 5 on lectures 16-19, readings 18-23 (including reading for today)
Lecture 20: Religion and empire in the mid-fourth century (download lecture slides)
Reading 23: Trinitarian Controversy, 131-147
Thursday (12/13)
Research papers due in class
Lecture 21: Conclusion: Theodosius I and the triumph of Nicea
No reading