1 – Polytheism
3 – Christianity’s Jewish Roots
- Monotheism
- God’s Covenant with his chosen People
- King David and the Temple in Jerusalem
- The Babylonian Captivity and Return to Jerusalem
- The Greek Occupation and the Maccabean Revolt
- The Diaspora and the Rise of Rabbinical Judaism
- The Pharisee, Sadducee, and Essene sects, and
- Roman oppression
5 –
- Proclaimed his divinity and performed miracles
- Taught a gospel of faith, hope and love
- Organized a movement
- Was crucified and rose from the dead
- Charged his disciples to teach all nations
6 – The Apostolic Period – Growth and Transformation (pending)
- Jewish persecution
- Paul’s mission to the gentiles
- Paul’s epistles
- Judaizers
- Rise of the Greek Gnostic influence
- The written Gospels and epistles from other Church leaders
- Roman persecution
7 –
- Docetism
- Adoptionism
- Gnosticism
- Marcionism
- Montanism
- Neo-Platonism
- Manichaeism
8 – Roman Persecution ― Martyrdom
- Ignatius of Antioch
- Polycarp
- Clement of Rome
9 –
- Justin Martyrs
- Irenaeus
- Origin
- Tertullian
- Cyprian
- Historians
10 – Early Developments in Church Structure & Practices
- Method of selecting priests and bishops
- Geographical hierarchical units
- The Easter Controversy
- Baptism of infants and by sprinkling
- Pageantry incorporated
11 –
- Constantine’s Conversion Story
- From Outlawed to Favored Status – Material Benefits
- Conversion for convenience
- Radical shift in internal attitudes
- More organizational and ceremonial developments
12 – Early Monasticism (pending)
- Inspired by pilgrimages to Greek oracles and
- In a reaction to the less arduous Christian life after Constantine
- Many devote Christians sought unity with the divine by withdrawing from society through monastic living.
- They became the foot soldiers of orthodoxy who even defeated the Roman Army at Alexandria.
- The monastic system that they established became the source of the majority of subsequent popes, scholasticism and the advent of universities.
- Worthiness and Authority
- The validity of ordinances
- Local autonomy verses the pre-eminence of the Bishop of Rome
- Councils
- Ties between the Church and State
14 – The Nicene Creed
- Historical Context
- Platonic Influence
- Logos Theology
- Sabellian Heresy
- The Arian Controversy
- First Council of Nicaea
- The Arian Controversy
- The Nicene Creede
- The Mystery of the Trinity
15 – The Incarnation Controversy
16 – Councils, Emperors and the Rise of the Roman Papacy (pending)
17 – The Bible (pending)
18 – Augustine (pending)
19 – The Incomprehensible God and the Supernatural (pending)
20 – Original Sin, Grace, Predestination, and the Pelagian Controversy (pending)
21 – Spread of Christianity beyond Imperial Borders (pending)
22 – Islam (pending)
23 – Eastern Orthodox Church and the Iconoclasm Controversy (pending)
24 – Popes and the Holy Roman Empire (pending)
25 – The Great Divorce (pending)
26 – The Seven Sacraments (pending)
27 – Life and Piety in the Middle-Ages (Mass, change to confession, three estates, etc.) (pending)
28 – Monastic Reforms, Mendicant orders and Church Organization in the Middle-ages (pending)
29 – Thomas Aquinas and Scholastic Theology (pending)
30 – Anselm and Substitutionary Atonement (pending)
31 – Abelard and the Moral Influence Theory of the Atonement (pending)
32 – Other theories regarding Christ’s Atonement (pending)
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Preliminary Overview
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