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A Journey through Church History
Highest Rated
Rating: 4.8 out of 5(37 ratings)
221 students

A Journey through Church History

Exploring the history of Christianity century by century
Highest Rated
Created byJoseph Wood
Last updated 10/2021
English

What you'll learn

  • A general timeline of the history of Christianity
  • The role of the Church in society through the centuries
  • The basic differences in Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant traditions of the Church
  • Key persons, dates, and events in the history of Christianity (the good and not so good)

Course content

4 sections • 21 lectures • 3h 47m total length

  • Introduction to the course5:26
  • 1st Century - The World into which Christianity was Born15:03

    Experience the first century world where polytheistic beliefs and Roman Pax Romana shaped Christianity's birth. Trace early missions by Paul, Barnabas, and everyday people amid Nero's persecutions.

  • 2nd Century - Authority, Apology, and Atrocity11:02

    Explore how the second century forged church authority through apostolic succession, leadership manuals like the teaching of the twelve apostles, and apologists and martyrs such as Ignatius, Polycarp, and Irenaeus.

  • 3rd Century - Apologists, Persecution and Monasticism11:59

    Trace the third century rise of apologists, widespread persecution, and monasticism in Alexandria, with Origin’s teaching, and the martyrdom accounts of Perpetua and Felicity.

  • 4th Century - Councils, Creeds and Cappadocians13:19
  • 5th Century - Augustine and St Patrick13:35

Requirements

  • No prior knowledge is necessary to fully enjoy this course.

Description

One of the often-heard objections to faith in Christ is that it is old fashioned or outdated, a relic of the distant past and therefore easily discarded. After all, what could a two thousand year old faith have to say to us in the twenty-first century?

This class seeks to address this question. In short, what could a two thousand year old faith have to say to us? A lot!

For those of us who are a part of the Christian Church, our history is not something to be discarded as foreign, or cut-off from our time. No, church history is a recognition that all that the Church is today, has been informed, shaped, and influenced by what has gone before. So, to investigate church history is to dig the depths of who we are, and as we do, it is my hope that we come to a better understanding of what it means to be faithful to Jesus in our own day.

For those of us who are not yet a part of the Christian Church, it may be that what you think you know about Christianity, has been shaped by particular ways of reading history, theology or sacred texts. Wherever your knowledge of the Church has come from, let me offer a new perspective, one that does not sugar-coat the past in order to paint a misleading picture of the present.

This course is designed to do two things: 

1. Offer a memorable timeline of significant events in Church history

2. Invite you to engage with the sources of history for yourself

Using the century by century method, this course enables you to see the whole picture (granted: we will not be able to cover EVERYTHING) and engaging the sources develops the skills you need to do your own research. Don't just let others tell you what happened; read the sources for yourself!

It is my joy to offer this course to you as an introduction to this topic. By no means am I able to investigate everything, but it is my hope that you will finish this course with a helpful understanding and the desire to learn more!


This Udemy course was written and directed by Joseph Wood. It was produced by Nazarene Theological College, Manchester in 2020.

Who this course is for:

  • Persons interested in church history
  • Christians interested in discipleship

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