Historical Studies

Historical Studies has two components: Church History and Classics. Taken together, these components offers both a narrative with which to understand the institutional history of the Church and its missions, and an opportunity for deeper participation in its life through theological reflection.

• Christianity
• The Jesus Puzzle: Was There No Historical Jesus?
• Spilit of Early Christianity and Judiasm
• Messianic Expectations in 1st Century Judaism
• Today - 2,000 Years Later
• Why Jewish Roots
• History of Christianity in Egypt
• Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith
• Chronology and History of Early Christianity
• Who Wrote the New Testament? The Making of the Christian Myth
• Origins of Christianity
• The Origins of Christianity and the Quest for the Historical Jesus Christ
• Early Sources of Christianity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historiography_of_early_Christianity
• Fathers of the Church
• The Greek Church

1. When everything is said and done, describe the early origins of Christianity briefly and succinctly.
2. Describe the foundation of the Church as a) faith community, b) its early forms of worship, c) organization, and d) discipline.
3. Compare your sense of the foundation of Christianity before you began this study with your current sense now that you have investigated just a bit the discussion(s) surrounding the origins of Christianity.
4. Describe your sense of a) Jesus; b) Jesus, the Christ; and d) the historical Jesus. With these three senses in heart/mind, discuss your sense of the conventional understanding of who Jesus is; who Jesus, The Christ is; and who the historical Jesus is and how you now relate to each conception thereof.
5. Discuss the relevancy of The Historical Foundations of Christianity with The Beatitudes (Matthew 5, 1-12) and 1 Corinthians 12, 31-13, 8.

• St. Ignatius of Antioch (50 - c.108 CE)
  1. The Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians
  2. The Epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians
  3. The Epistle of Ignatius to the Trallians
  4. The Epistle of Ignatius to the Romans
  5. The Epistle of Ignatius to the Philadelphians
  6. The Epistle of Ignatius to the Smyraeans
  7. The Epistle of Ignatius to Polycarp
• St. Justin Martyr (100 - 165 CE)
  1. First Apology
  2. Second Apology
• Origen and Origenism (185 - 232 CE)
  1. De Principiis (Preface)
  2. De Principiis (Book 1)
  3. De Principiis (Book 2)
  4. De Principiis (Book 3)
  5. De Principiis (Book 4)
• St. Gregory of Nazianzus (c.325 - 389 CE)
  1. Oration 01: On Easter and His Reluctance
  2. Oration 45: The Second Oration on Easter
  3. Oration 02: In defense of his flight to Pontius, and his return, after his Ordination to the Priesthood, with an exposition of the Character of the Priestly Office
  4. Oration 27: The First Theological Oration: A preliminary discourse against the Eunomians
  5. Oration 28: The Second Theological Oration
  6. Oration 29: The Third Theological Oration (on the Son)
  7. Oration 30: The Fourth Theological Oration (2nd concerning The Son)
  8. Oration 31: The Fifth Theological Oration (On the Holy Spirit)
  9. Oration 37: On the Words of the Gospel...
  10. Oration 38: On the Theophany, or Birthday of Christ.
  11. Oration 40: On Holy Baptism
  12. Oration 41: On Pentecost
  13. Oration 42: "The Last Farewell"
  14. Oration 45: Second Oration on Easter

1. Trace the development of Catholic thought from the Beginnings of Christianity to Gregory of Nazianzus. Discuss how much of this development is found in Scripture itself and how much is the product of the speculative thought of the writer. Include a discussion as to about when the thought stream began to narrow and take root as one ideology.
2. Describe your sense how of the person of Christ has changed from the earliest beginnings into yet something else over a brief period of time. Who is the historical Christ and who is the Christ of the Early Church Fathers.
3. Discuss the growing of an institutionalized Church from the diverse churches of early Christianity and even the diverse Christian communities within these early churches.
4. Discuss the relevancy of The Early Church to the First Council of Constantinople with The Beatitudes (Matthew 5, 1-12) and 1 Corinthians 12, 31-13, 8.

• St. Ambrose (340-397 CE)
  1. On Mysteries
• St. Augustine (354-430 CE)
  1. Confessions Book 01
  2. Confessions Book 02
  3. Confessions Book 03
  4. Confessions Book 04
  5. Confessions Book 05
  6. Confessions Book 06
  7. Confessions Book 07
  8. Confessions Book 08
  9. Confessions Book 09
  10. Confessions Book 10
  11. Confessions Book 11
  12. Confessions Book 12
  13. Confessions Book 13
• Egeria (early 5th C)
  1. Egeria's Description of the Liturgy at Jerusalem
• St. Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 315 - 386)
  1. 1st Lecture on the Mysteries
  2. 2nd Lecture on the Mysteries On Baptism
  3. 3rd Lecture on the Mysteries On Chrism
  4. 4th Lecture on the Mysteries On the Body and Blood of Christ
  5. 5th Lecture on the Mysteries On the Sacred Liturgy and Communion
• Pope St. Leo the Great (c. 395 - 461)
  1. Sermon on Day of Ordination
  2. Sermon on Anniversary of Consecration
  3. Sermon on Anniversary of Elevation to Pontificate
  4. Sermon on Feast of Nativity
  5. Homily on the Beatitudes
  6. Sermon on The Lord's Resurrection
  7. Letter from Flavian
  8. Letter to Flavian
• Pope St. Gregory I (The Great) (c.540 - 604)
  1. Moralia on Job Book

1. Reflecting upon the origins of Christianity, in a brief 500 or so years, describe your sense of the Christian experience. What elements, given speculation, of this experience would the historical Jesus a) recognize and agree with and b) recognize and disagree with, and c) not recognize at all.
2. Discuss the effects Augustine has in the institutionalized conception of Christianity. Compare and or contrast these effects with the effects of St. Paul upon the contemporary institutionalized church.
3. Listening to the style and tone in the writings of Leo and Gregory the Great, describe the tone found in pronouncements and writings from the institutionalized Roman jurisdiction today.
4. Describe what you have learned thus far about the first 500 years of the Christian experience in terms of fact, myth, legend, metaphor.
5. Discuss the relevancy First Council of Constantinople to the End of the Patristic Era with The Beatitudes (Matthew 5, 1-12) and 1 Corinthians 12, 31-13, 8.

• Background
  • Migration period, AKA Dark Ages or Early Middle Age
  • The Middle Ages
  • Christendom
  • The Barbarians
  • Primogeniture
  • Feudalism
  • The Huns
  • The Byzantine Empire
  • The Moors
  • The Franks and Charlemagne
  • The Vikings
  • The Normans
  • The Bubonic Plague
• Council of Sardica Canon V 343
• Gelasius I on Spiritual and Temporal Power, 494
• Valentian 1: Decree on Papal Power, 445
• Christianization of Russia
• Life of Boethius (c. 480)
  • The Consolation of Philosophy
• Rule of St. Columba
• St Benedict of Nursia (c. 480 - 583)
• John Scotus Eriugena (9th Century)
• Juliana of Norwich (c. 1342 -c. 1413)
  • Revelations of Divine Love (Juliana of Norwich)
• St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
  • On Loving God (15 Chapters)
• Meister Johann Eckhart
• St. John of the Cross (1542-1591)
  • The Dark Night of the Soul
• St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)
  • The Way of Perfection
• Religious Movements in the 14th Century
  • 01. Richard Rolle of Hamploe
  • 02. Rolle's Mysticism
  • 03. William Nassyngton; Rolle and Religion
  • 04. The Pricke of Conscience
  • 05. Wyclif's Early Life
  • 06. Wyclif and Scholasticism
  • 07. Wyclif's Earlier Writings
  • 08. Attack on Wyclif
  • 09. The Papal Schism
  • 10. The Poor Priests
  • 11. The Bible in English
  • 12. Nicholas Hereford and John Purvey
  • 13. Wyclif and Popular Movements
  • 14. Wyclif's Views on the Eucharist
  • 15. Wyclif's Later Works
  • 16. Wyclif's Later Life
  • 17. The Lollards; Wyclif's Personality
• The Waldensian Movement From Waldo to the Reformation III
• The Waldensian Movement From Waldo to the Reformation IV
• The Renaissance

1. Given the historical background the Dark Ages, discuss the place of guilt, shame, blame and fear amoung the people, encourage by the growing institutional church to control the masses.
2. Discuss the place of the monastic spirit that evolved in the Middle Ages. Describe how did this spirit related with the spit of the poeple?
3. Discuss who who is Christ has become in the Middle Ages. Describe what the institutional church had become and discuss a growing awareness that institutionalization had little to do with Christ or Christianity.
4. Discuss the relevancy the writings of the Middle Ages with The Beatitudes (Matthew 5, 1-12) and 1 Corinthians 12, 31-13, 8.

• Timeline of the Protestant Reformation
• The Waldensian Movement From Waldo to the Reformation (Hussites)
• The 95 Theses Justification
  1. History of Justification in Times of the Fathers
  2. Luther: How One is Justified before God, and of Good Works
  3. Justification
  4. Christianity without Christ
  5. Not Faith, But Christ (Justification)
• The History of Protestantism (Wylie)
• Luther: Of the Power and Primacy of the Pope
• Luther: Of the Marriage of Priests
• The Counter Reformation
  1. Origins of Counter Reformation (note internal links)
  2. Phases of the Counter Formation (note internal links)
• The Council of Trent (note internal links)
  1. The Meetings of the Council (note internal links)
  2. The Work of the Council (note internal links)
  3. Influence of the Council
  4. The Council of Trent Canons and Decrees
     (Please refer to the above link for all the decress of the Counil of Trent)
  5. The Bull of Indiction
  6. Decree concerning the Canonical Scriptures
  7. Decree concerning the Original Sin
  8. Decree concerning Justification
  9. Erasmus and Justification Canons
  10. Decree concerning the most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist

1. Discuss, given your understanding, what the underlying religious-spsiritual gestalts that lead to many of the people agreeing so whole heartedly with Martin Lathur's position.
2. If you were Jesus Christ, discuss how would you have considered what we have labeled the Protestant Reformation, the Counter Reformation, and the Council of Trent — each event occuring supposedly in your name.
3. Re-read the Sermon on the Mount. Compare and contrast the language sense contained in the Council of Trent decrees with that in the Sermon on the Mount. What conclusions do you make?
4. Discuss the relevancy the writings of the Reformation and the Council of Trent with The Beatitudes (Matthew 5, 1-12) and 1 Corinthians 12, 31-13, 8.

• St. Josaphat of Polotsk
• First Vatican Council
  1. Overview
  2. Convening and Meetings
  3. Constitutions of Faith and Infallibility
  4. The Doctrine of Papal Infallibility
  5. Infallibility of the Pope: Basic Facts, etc.
  6. Bishop Strossmayer's Speech
• The Old (Dutch) Catholic Chuurch
  1. Overview
  2. The Old Catholic Church: A brief background and Historical Information
  3. Declaration of the Catholic Congress at Munich
  4. The Fourteen Theses of the Old Catholic (Conference - Bonn)
  5. Declaration of Utrecht (a definition of Old Catholicism)
• Second Vatican Council
  1. Pope John's Opening Speech to the Council
  2. Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium)
  3. Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium)
  4. Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World (Gaudium et Spes)

1. Earth houses pluralistic society. Discuss the purpose for a religion (as differientated from spirituality Cf Religion and Spirituality: Unity in Difference) in general, and a Catholic tradition specifically, in today's society.
2. Given the history of the Catholic experience, relate a Catholic Spiritualilty with a Contemporary Catholic.
3. In the world today, describe various conceptions of Jesus and how elements within a society may act in His name. Discuss cognitive dissonance and its relation to a) differing conceptions of Jesus, b) church, c) morality (death penalty, abortion/anti-abortion <Right to Life/Right to Choose>, self-determination/assisted suicide) conversations, marriage relations (husband-wife as equals to wife being obedient to husband).
4. Given your historical understanding of Jesus and Church, describe your understanding of Jesus and Church and relate your unstanding to each of the points covered in the Sermon on the Mount
5. Discuss the relevancy the writings of Modern Church History with The Beatitudes (Matthew 5, 1-12) and 1 Corinthians 12, 31-13, 8.