The Great Courses Presents: The History of Christianity
Here, identify the pivotal factors that secured the framework of Christianity, defining an orthodoxy based in tradition and reason.
Speakers: Luke Timothy Johnson
Writers: Luke Timothy Johnson
Topics: HistoryHistory of ChristianityChristianity
Source: The Great Courses
Begin by contemplating the massive historical trajectory of Christianity, as well as contemporary ignorance of its past. Consider the value of historical study ...
Understanding the cultural contexts of early Christianity is fundamental for grasping its history.
Judaism is the most important cultural context for early Christianity. Contemplate the circumstances of Jewish life in ancient Palestine as well as in the Diasp...
Consider the resurrection as marking the birth of Christianity, as rooted in the claims of the first believers to an experience of ultimate power and transforma...
Christianity spread with amazing speed in the decades following Jesus's death. Begin by observing how this expansion happened and the broad adaptations Christia...
This lecture notes influences in early Christianity beyond the pivotal figures of Jesus and Paul. In particular, investigate the differences in conviction and p...
In tracing the Christian "age of persecution," begin by examining the prior history of repression of both Jews and philosophers, and the problems posed by the C...
In the 2nd and 3rd centuries, martyrdom and apologetic literature responded powerfully to the persecution of Christians. Investigate the phenomenon of martyrdom...
Radical forms of Christianity continued the movement's original diversity in even more dramatic ways. Trace early accounts of wonder-working, and Christian soci...
Christianity's growth, accompanied by its development of solid social structures, finally positioned it as an irresistible force. First, trace the movement's br...
Early Christian philosophy emphasized the religion as a way of moral transformation, and initiated a serious intellectual discourse with the wider world.
Christianity made a dramatic turn in the 4th century, becoming the established religion of the Roman Empire. Investigate the pivotal roles the emperors Diocleti...
This lecture follows the complex process of the "conversion" of the empire to Christianity. Track the bold actions of Constantine in his patronage of the new fa...
In the religion's new context, see how substantial territories became Christian through conversion under imperial authority. Then explore the church's expanding...
Monasticism exerted an enormous influence on Christianity from its inception. Trace its development in 3rd-century Egypt, and learn about the elements and princ...
In the 4th and 5th centuries, prominent cities competed for authority within the imperial religion. Look first at the reasons for the early primacy of Rome, and...
Complex doctrinal disputes divided Christians in the 4th through the 6th centuries. Here, track the 4th-century controversy over the divinity of Jesus and the r...
The controversy concerning the Trinity raged through the 5th and 6th centuries, now focused on the nature of Christ, the God-Man.
In grasping Christianity's development in the Western empire, investigate two major controversies, Donatism and Pelagianism, rooted in questions of moral rigor ...
This lecture counters the tendency to think of Christianity as a European religion, charting its extensive geographical spread through the 6th century.
Here, evaluate the extraordinary legacy of the emperor Justinian of Byzantium. Follow his conquests to restore the greatness of the empire, his economic and leg...
In the 6th and 7th centuries, Byzantine Christianity faced both external and internal pressures. Track the dramatically rapid spread of Islam through military c...
This lecture uncovers the remarkable cultural riches of the Orthodox tradition. First, see how a 9th-century Byzantine mission established Christianity in Russi...
Now follow the dramatic political events that marked the transition from imperial Christianity to medieval Christianity.
Benedictine monasticism played a foundational role in the shaping of medieval Christianity, and it continues to thrive today.
A spectrum of powerful figures fueled Christianity's expansion in the West. Reckon with the contributions of the popes Damasus I, Leo I, and Gregory "the Great"...
In the 11th century, relations between Orthodoxy (East) and Catholicism (West) were severed, a schism that has remained for more than a thousand years.
Investigate the appeal of monasticism in the medieval world and why this dominant institution in the Catholic West required constant renewal.
The majestic cathedrals of European Christendom are a key to medieval Catholic life. Study the two archetypal cathedral styles, Romanesque and Gothic; their ico...
The Crusades to recover the Holy Land from the Muslims represented deep ambiguities in Christian identity.
This lecture follows the ascending power of the papacy in Christian Europe. Assess the careers of two "super-popes," Gregory the VII and Innocent III, as they a...
Our contemporary universities have origins in medieval universities that were entirely Christian. Trace the rise of universities in the West - their functions, ...
The 14th century saw a period of natural and human-caused disasters that negatively affected society and the church. Track the extreme hardships of the Black De...
By the late medieval era, systemic dysfunction within Christianity led to efforts at structural reform. Grasp the critical issues the church faced in the practi...
The course concludes with reflections on the numerous cultural adaptations Christianity has made on its path to becoming a "world religion."
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