Evolution of the Church, Distance Education

This course explores different stages of the churchs evolution from the apostolic era to our time and how these changes came to be reflected in ecclesiological doctrines. It demonstrates how the churchs self-awareness and administrative structures regularly changed under the influence of internal and external circumstances. The course surveys the impact of various socio-political environments on the church, such as Roman, Muslim, and secular influences. It sheds light on the history of Christian divisions and attempts at ecumenical reconciliation.By the end of the course, students will be able to: - Critically discern between the mutable and immutable aspects of the church. - with a high degree of independence analyze the evolution of the mutable aspects of the church from ancient Roman times through to the twentieth century. - Identify and evaluate the issues that led to church divisions in the past. - Suggest new, creative ways to overcome the present situration and to prevent potential divisions. - Synthesize new, innovative patterns of interaction for the church with other religions and secular spaces.