TEOL2003 – The Ancient Church

Course content

This course traces the evolution of the early Christian community from its beginnings as a marginalized sect within the diverse religious landscape of ancient Judaism to its establishment as the state religion of the Roman Empire. This is the formative phase of the early Christian Church, a period that defined the foundational doctrines of Christian belief and shaped the basic form of ecclesiastical and monastic organization.

Students will explore the diverse theological perspectives and doctrinal controversies that characterized this formative period, including the debates over the Trinitarian doctrine and the nature of Christ, and canonization of scripture. These events and developments have greatest impact into the present, and gaining a deeper understanding of them helps to contextualize modern expressions of Christian faith and contemporary interconfessional discussions and conflicts.

Learning outcome

Students will acquire basic knowledge about the development of various aspects of the history of the early Christian church:

• The emergence and organization of the earliest Christian communities led by the apostles and their successors, and the spread of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire. 
• The development of early Christian theology, the emergence of orthodoxies and heterodoxies, the definition of the Trinitarian doctrine, and the formation of the biblical canon.
• The relationship between Christians and the Roman Empire, from the oppression and persecution of Christians in the 2nd and 3rd centuries and its impact on Christian identity, to the Christianization of the Empire and its implications for religious, social, and political life.
• The rise of monasticism and asceticism as expressions of Christian spirituality, and their influence on the broader Christian tradition.   
• The politicization and disintegration of the early church in the 4th and 5th centuries, with emphasis on the Christological controversy.

Throughout the course, students will engage critically with primary sources, scholarly literature, and contemporary debates about the history of the early Christian church. In doing so students will gain a deeper understanding of the emergence, development, and dissolution of the early Christian church, as well as its enduring legacy in the modern world.

Admission to the course

Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.

 

If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.

Recommended previous knowledge

• TFF1001 – Kristendommens historie

• TEOL1100 – Introduksjon til Bibelen: tekster, lesninger og teologier

• TEOL1200 – Innføring i systematisk teologi

Teaching

Teaching consists of weekly seminars.

Mandatory activities:

• Three written assignments, each at least 800 words.

Examination

Home exam, 3000-4000 words.

Two exam questions based on the course curriculum will be published in Inspera. Students must choose one of the questions and write a paper in response to this question.

Find the assessment guidance here

Language of examination

You may write your examination paper in Norwegian or English.

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.

More about examinations at UiO

• Use of sources and citations
• Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
• Withdrawal from an exam
• Illness at exams / postponed exams
• Explanation of grades and appeals
• Resitting an exam
• Cheating/attempted cheating

You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.