Eastern Christian Theology, Distance Education

Byzantine: Eastern Christian Theology has developed within different communities. In the Byzantine Orthodox community it developed within the Byzantine Empire, but outside the Empire as well, primarily within the Arabic cultural world. With its roots embedded in Jewish religious beliefs,Byzantine culture flourished in Byzantium until the fall of Constantinople, when the Ottoman Empire overshadowed Christianity in its geographical cradle. In Russia the Church continued to blossom to the beginning of the twentieth century, when the Bolsheviks made Orthodox Christianity its primary enemy and later an essential but crippled partner. This course introduces the two major centers of Byzantine Christianity, with their characteristic theology and history. After the course, the student is expected to:be able to identify and interpret historical events and the consequences they have for the history of the Byzantine Orthodox Churchdisplay considerable understanding of the general themes of theology among the Byzantine Orthodox Church fathers and mothers, as well as a deeper insight into the christological controversies surrounding and following upon the Council of Chalcedon (451)demonstrate competence in making use of patristic resources and historical-critical methodsreflect critically on various patristic texts, regarding authorship, manuscript, history and reception as well as contentCoptic:Eastern Christian Theology has developed within different communities. In the Coptic Orthodox community it developed within the Islamic Empire, but as the spiritual cradle of Eastern Christianity with Alexandria as the theological and philosophical center of the East. With its roots embedded in the Jewish religious belief the Coptic culture also adopted elements of the Pharaonic culture, but with the belief that God had planted Christianity as a precursor of Christ in this pre-Christian culture the riches of which Joseph, the Old Testament patriarch harvested and gave symbolically to Moses. This course will once more harvest the vast and rich resources of this ancient culture.After the course, the student is expected to:demonstrate knowledge of the timeline of the history of the Coptic Orthodox Churchdemonstrate understanding of the general themes of theology among the Coptic Orthodox Church fathers and mothers, as well as a deeper insight into the Christological controversies pertaining to the Council of Chalcedon (451)be able to read and interpret patristic texts, with the methods provided in the coursebe able to make use of patristic resources and historical critical methodsSyriac:Eastern Christian Theology has developed within different communities. In the Syrian Orthodox community it was a cultural meeting between the Syriac/Semitic cultural world and the Hellenic world. With its roots embedded in Jewish religious belief,Syriac culture flourished in Western Asia, which created such Church fathers as Ephrem the Syrian. In the shadow of the Empire the Christological conflicts and the use of Jacob Baradeus as an instrument of intervention in the Persian Empire made the Syriac Orthodox Church a church in opposition to the church of the Byzantine Empire but yet strongly Hellenized in the seventh century by authors such as Jacob of Edessa.After the course, the student is expected to:demonstrate knowledge of the timeline of the history of the Syriac Orthodox Churchdemonstrate understanding of the general themes of theology among the Syriac Orthodox Church fathers and mothers, as well as a deeper insight into the Christological controversies surrounding and following upon the Council of Chalcedon (451)be able to make use of patristic resources and historical critical methodsbe able to read and interpret patristic texts, with the methods provided in the courseTewahedo:Eastern Christian Theology has developed within different communities. In the Tewahedo Orthodox community it developed in close proximity with Judaism and Geez was one of the first seven languages the Bible was translated in, but as an institution it developed from the dependency of the Coptic Church until the twentieth century when it gained its autocephaly. This course will introduce one of the ancient traditions and yet unknown for many.After the course, the student is expected to:demonstrate knowledge of the timeline of the history of the Tewahedo Orthodox Churchesdemonstrate understanding of the general themes of theology among the Tewahedo Orthodox Church fathers and mothers, as well as a deeper insight into the Christological controversies surrounding and following upon the Council of Chalcedon (451)be able to make use of patristic resources and historical critical methodsbe able to read and interpret patristic texts, with the methods provided in the course