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Download a copy of the paper syllabus (pdf format) here

Instructor

Prof. Megan Williams (contact: mhw at sfsu dot edu)
Office: SCI 267B; office hours: T 2:10-4:00 pm and by appointment

Description

Christian Church from its beginnings to the death of Theodosius I. Christian origins; orthodoxy and “Gnosticism”; the phenomenon of martyrdom; origins of monasticism; Trinitarian controversies; Church and Empire in the East. [NOTE: this varies from the Catalogue]

Required books

Ferguson, Everett. Backgrounds of Early Christianity. 3rd ed. Eerdmans, 2003.
Rousseau, Philip. The Early Christian Centuries. Longman, 2002. ORDER ONLINE
The HarperCollins Study Bible: Revised and Expanded. HarperCollins, 2006. COMING AT BOOKSTORE
Bart Ehrman, ed. After the New Testament: A Reader in Early Christianity. OUP, 1998.
Eusebius. History of the Church. Penguin: 1999.
Rusch, William, ed. The Trinitarian Controversy. Augsburg Fortress, 1980.
Athanasius. Life of Anthony and Letter to Marcellinus. Tr. Robert Gregg. Paulist, 1979.

Course policies

Weighting of assignments for the final grade

Participation (attendance and participation in discussions) 15%
Quizzes (5 at 5% each) 25%
Abstract 5%
Research proposal 15%
Research paper 40%

Missed exams, late papers, attendance and excuses

Attendance will be taken regularly. Participation grades will be based on attendance (1/4 point per class, up to 6 points total) and on the quantity and quality of your contributions to the three in-class discussions (3 points per discussion).

All written assignments are to be submitted in class, at the beginning of class on the due date. Late papers will be penalized one full grade for every 24 hours late or fraction thereof, beginning at 9:50 am on the due date. Papers submitted more than one class meeting after the deadline will receive a grade of F.

One missed quiz may be made up with a 5-page paper summarizing the reading assignments covered by that quiz, due the class meeting immediately after the quiz.

Other make-up tests will be given, late papers and absences excused, only in the case of emergencies (written documentation required) and at the instructor’s discretion.

Behavior in the classroom

Students who engage in disruptive behavior (e.g., talking or making noise during lecture, leaving cell phones on during class, interrupting the instructor or other students, speaking at great length during discussions, etc.) will be asked to leave the room for the remainder of the class meeting.

Do not make a habit of coming to class late or leaving early as it is distracting to the instructor and to other students. Please arrange your schedule so that this will not be necessary except under exceptional circumstances.

Dishonesty in the form of cheating or plagiarism is unfair to your fellow students and is prohibited by the San Francisco State University Student Code of Conduct.

Cheating includes, but is not limited to, copying other students’ work and helping other students to cheat. All exams in this course will be closed-book; you may have only blank blue books and pens or pencils during the exam.

Plagiarism means using someone else’s work without proper acknowledgment (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plagiarism for further discussion of the concept, and more resources).

Penalties for cheating and plagiarism range from a failing grade on the specific assignment to expulsion from the University. All cases of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Department Chair and College Dean.

Students are responsible for knowing the SFSU regulations on cheating and plagiarism: see http://www.sfsu.edu/~helpdesk/docs/rules/conduct.htm.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodation

The Disability Programs and Resources Center (DPRC) provides academic support services and specialized assistance to students with disabilities. In order to receive accommodation through the ADA, you must make a formal request through the DPRC in SSB 110 (415-338-2472). If you are registered with the DPRC, please let me know immediately so that I can be prepared to accommodate you.

Graduate students

Please speak with me at the end of the first class to arrange alternative assignments if you are taking HIST 325 for graduate credit.

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