Christian Tradition, Spring 2016

This course presents an historical and theological analysis of Christian thought and practice. Spring 2016 will address Christianity in late antiquity and the early Middle Ages. We will examine the conflicts, individuals, social movements, and theologies that shaped Christianity during its formative and early medieval periods. Specific topics we will study include: the spread of Christianity throughout the Mediterranean world, martyrdoms and persecutions , Christian and Jewish relations, politics and power, heresy, gender, slavery, and social class, Christian views of the body. At the end of the semester, we will turn to contemporary “hot topics,” whose debates have roots in the ancient world.