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Burke, VA 22015
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The Certificate of Eastern Christian History is a short-term graduate program focused on the history of Eastern Christian communities. The program provides students customizable training through a set of course offerings in Eastern Christian history courses appropriate to educators, church or parachurch ministries, and personal enrichment.
This course provides a survey of the history of the Christian Church from an Orthodox perspective from the coming of our Lord to the Council of Chalcedon (451). Topics to be covered include the Apostolic period, the Early Fathers, the Ecumenical Councils, and the development of the Church’s ecclesiology noting the beginnings of East-West divergences.
The courses listed here are indicative, and there is no guarantee that they will run for the current academic year. Students will take the courses in the order they are made available.
The aim of this class is for students to explore the marginalized voice of the Oriental Orthodox tradition, to get to know it on its own terms, and to refine this voice in its engagement with disciplinary discourse. The course will focus on the history of the Alexandrian Church and its legacy in Egypt, from the apostolic era of St. Mark until the Ottoman period. The class is designed for students to be able to understand and analyze the multi-faceted factors that shape the current Christian ecumenical dialogue today by looking back into the history of the most ancient native Christian traditions. It will provide students with the tools to aid their study of Oriental Orthodox Church history-students are the ultimate drivers of their education and are given free rein to pursue and research whichever topic piques interest.
The aim of this class is for students to explore the marginalized voice of the Oriental Orthodox tradition, to get to know it on its own terms, and to refine this voice in its engagement with disciplinary discourse. The course will focus on the history of the Alexandrian Church and its legacy in Egypt, from the end of the Ottoman period unto the present day. The class is designed for students to be able to understand and analyze the multi-faceted factors that shape the current Christian ecumenical dialogue today by looking back into the history of the most ancient native Christian traditions. It will provide students with the tools to aid their study of Oriental Orthodox Church history-students are the ultimate drivers of their education and are given free rein to pursue and research whichever topic piques interest.
Council of Chalcedon to the present day by tracing key historical events and themes to gain a better understanding of the Oriental Orthodox Christian tradition and its legacy in the Middle Eastern religious mosaic. The examination of this trajectory provides an opportunity to delve into the Oriental Orthodox viewpoint of Christian history. Participants analyze historical themes in order to strengthen their knowledge of and develop an appreciation for this tradition.
The course will focus on the history of the Church in Ethiopia and Eritrea from its inception until the present day. As an important part of this class, students will learn about the multifaceted landscape of Christianity in the Horn of Africa. Students will study the major figures and events that shaped the Tewahedo Church in its various locales, languages, and cultures. Special attention will be given to the roles of Syriac and Coptic churches in the formation of Tewahedo Christianity. Students will wrestle with the challenges related to the Church in the Horn of Africa as it struggles with recent political persecution.
The course will focus on the history of the Church in Nubia from its inception until the present day. As an important part of this class, students will learn about the unique cultures of the historical kingdoms in the Sudan. Students will study the major figures and events that shaped the Nubian Church. Special attention will be given to the roles of the Church of Alexandria in the formation of Nubian Christianity. Students will wrestle with the challenges related to documentation of the Church in Nubia and its eventual, albeit recent decline four centuries ago.
Term 1 – Fall | Term 2 – Spring | Term 3 – Summer |
Required Course 1 | Elective 1 | Elective 2 |
Required Course 2 |
Visiting Professor of Church History
Assistant Professor of Church History and Coptic Studies
Dean of Holy Transfiguration College & Associate Professor of Old Testament and Syriac Studies
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