TH 311 - Church History I: Early and Medieval Catholicism

The course is the first of a two-part survey of the evolution of the Catholic Church from Apostolic times to the present. Although concerned primarily with the story of the Catholic West, Church History I includes the history of the Orthodox East and the gradual separation of the Latin and Greek Churches in the course of the Middle Ages.

Assignment Overview

Assignments: 6 Units
Interactivity: Discussion Board

Course Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, you should be able to do the following:

Explore the way Church structures, especially the papacy and the episcopacy, evolved in the first millennium as well as more of the Church’s history.
Identify some of the ways (political, social, and educational) in which the Church responded to the declining Roman Empire in the West.
Appreciate the role of monasticism, beginning with the desert fathers and culminating in the new mendicant orders of the Middle Ages, including its missionary activities.
Understand the cultural and theological background to the East-West Schism.
Recognize the difference between a patristic/monastic style of theology and the scholastic style that emerged in the twelfth century.
Use historical examples to illustrate the social and embodied nature of the Spirit-led Church as it extends the Incarnation of Christ in the world.
Evaluate and consult online reference and primary source materials that provide details of topics in Church history that go beyond the introductory level.

Credits: 3

Print this Page

Add to Portfolio (opens a new window)