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Guidelines for Teachers

Foreword – What is the history of Christianity?

Christianity, like any religion, is not an unchanging monolith, frozen in time and space. It has a long history, one that is inscribed in the history of societies in which the religion developed, with reciprocal influences. Our module approaches Christianity through the prism of the historian (see theoretical modules). Such is not about the Church and its institutions, or Christians and their lifestyles, although they come into play. The history of Christianity encompasses the religious, political, and cultural, as interrelated realms. Our aim is also to account for events and conflicts in their essentials, while giving a notion of their complexity. Lastly, it would have been beyond the scope of this module to be exhaustive, to fully cover where and when Christianity took hold. Places and times have been selected for their relevance, this with regard to European school curricula, and to questions of current interest.

Conceptual (Knowledge) objectives

  • C.O.1: Know the major events in the history of Christianity.
  • C.O.2: Understand the diversity of the Christian churches.
  • C.O.3: Understand the historical development of Christianity.

Skills

  • S.1: Be able to distinguish between history of religion and sacred history.
  • S.2: Be able to identify the main Christian churches through their characteristics.
  • S.3: Be able to analyze Christian beliefs and practices.

Bibliography

  • A. VAN DEN KERCHOVE, Histoire du christianisme, Documentation photographique n°8069 (mai-juin 2009).
  • J.-C. ATTIAS et E. BENBASSA (dir.), Des cultures et des dieux. Repères pour une transmission du fait religieux, Paris, 2007.

Summary of arguments, linked to student view sections

  • Jewish writer
    Flavius Josephus, Jewish Antiquities [text] (sec. 1)

    Apostolic Fathers:Didachè [texte] (sec. 1)
    The Martyrdom of Polycarp [text] (sec. 2)

    Christian Rites
    Didache [text] (sec. 1)
    Justin Martyr, The First Apology [text] (sec. 2)

    Apologetics
    Justin Martyr, The First Apology [text] (sec. 2)

    Roman writer
    Flavius Josephus, Jewish Antiquities [text] (sec. 1)

    Church and state
    Eusebius of Caesarea, Ecclesiastical History [text] (sec. 2)
    Sylvester and Constantine [image] (sec. 4)
    The Donation of Constantine [text] (sec. 4)
    Caricature from Le rire, 20th may 1905. [image] (sec. 7)

    Roman writer
    Tacitus, Annals [text] (sec. 1)
    Eusebius of Caesarea, Ecclesiastical History [text] (sec. 2)
    Libanius, For the Temples [text] ((sec. 3))
    Augustine of Hippo, Confessions [text] (sec. 3)

     Persecutions
    Tacite, Annales [texte] (sec. 1)
    The Martyrdom of Polycarp [text] (sec. 2)
    Eusebius of Caesarea, Ecclesiastical History [text] (sec. 2)


    Christian writer
    Paul, Epistle to the Galatians [text] (sec. 1)
    Justin, Apologie [texte](sec. 2)
    Eusebius of Caesarea, Ecclesiastical History [text] (sec. 2)
    Augustine of Hippo, Confessions [text] (sec. 3)
    Martin Luther, The 95 Theses [text](sec. 6)
    Martin Luther, Concerning Christian Liberty [text] sec.6


    Bible
    Paul, Epistle to the Galatians [text](sec. 1)


    New Testament
    Paul, Epistle to the Galatians [text](sec. 1)


    History
    Flavius Josephus, Jewish Antiquities [text](sec. 1)
    Tacitus, Annals [text] (sec. 1)
    The Martyrdom of Polycarp [text](sec. 2)
    Eusebius of Caesarea, Ecclesiastical History [text] (sec. 2)

  • Ecclesiology
    The Church Militant and the Church Triumphant  [image] (sec. 4)
    Bull Vigilantia universalis [text] sec. 4
    Canons of the Council in Trullo [text]sec.5
    Martin Luther, The 95 Theses [text] (sec. 6)
    Encyclical Ecclesiam suam [text] (sec. 8)
    Decree on ecumenism [text] (sec. 8)

    Pope
    Sylvester and Constantine [image] (sec. 4)
    The Donation of Constantine [text](sec. 4)
    Bull Vigilantia universalis [text] sec. 4
    Canons on justification (council of Trent) [text] (sec. 6)
    Syllabus of Errors. [text](sec. 7)
    Rerum novarum. [text] (sec. 7)
     Encyclical Ecclesiam suam [text] (sec. 8)

    Official document
    Bull Vigilantia universalis [text] sec. 4
    Canons of the Council in Trullo [text] sec.5
    Canons on justification (council of Trent) [text] (sec. 6)
    Syllabus of Errors. [text](sec. 7)
    Rerum novarum. [text] (sec. 7)
    Encyclical Ecclesiam suam [text] (sec. 8)
    Decree on ecumenism [text] (sec. 8)
    Declaration on the relations of the Church the non-Christian religions [text] (sec. 8)

    Salvation
    Lucas Cranach the Elder, Law and Grace [image] (sec. 6)
    Martin Luther, Œuvres [texte] sec.6
    Canons on justification (council of Trent) [text] (sec. 6)

    Christian diversity
    Decree on ecumenism [text] (sec. 8)
    The Christian churches in the World [map](sec. 9)
    The proportion of Christians in the World [map] (sec. 9)
    Evangelicalism in Brasil [text] (sec. 9)

    Christianity and other religions
    Paul, Epistle to the Galatians [text](sec. 1)
    Libanius, For the Temples [text] (sec. 3)
    Declaration on the relations of the Church the non-Christian religions [text] (sec. 8)

    Early Christianity
    Flavius Josephus, Jewish Antiquities [text](sec. 1)
    Paul, Epistle to the Galatians [text](sec. 1)
    Didache [text] (sec. 1)
    The Martyrdom of Polycarp [text](sec. 2)
    Justin Martyr, The First Apology [text] (sec. 2)
    Eusebius of Caesarea, Ecclesiastical History [text] (sec. 2)
    Augustine of Hippo, Confessions [text] (sec. 3)

  • Medieval Christianity
    Sylvester and Constantine [image] (sec. 4)
    The Donation of Constantine [text](sec. 4)
    The Church Militant and the Church Triumphant  [image] (sec. 4)
    Bull Vigilantia universalis [text] sec. 4

    Reformation
    Martin Luther, The 95 Theses [text] (sec. 6)
    Lucas Cranach the Elder, Law and Grace [image] (sec. 6)
    Martin Luther, Concerning Christian Liberty [text] sec.6

    Early Modern Christianity
    Martin Luther, The 95 Theses [text] (sec. 6)
    Lucas Cranach l’Ancien, La Loi et la Grâce [image] (sec. 6)
    Canons on justification (council of Trent) [text] (sec. 6)
    Martin Luther, Concerning Christian Liberty [text] sec.6


    Modern Christianity
    Syllabus of Errors. [text](sec. 7)
    Rerum novarum. [text] (sec. 7)
    Caricature from Le rire, 20th may 1905. [image] (sec. 7)
    Encyclical Ecclesiam suam [text] (sec. 8)
    Decree on ecumenism [text] (sec. 8)
    Declaration on the relations of the Church the non-Christian religions [text] (sec. 8)
    The Christian churches in the World [map] (sec. 9)
    The proportion of Christians in the World [map] (sec. 9)
    Evangelicalism in Brasil [text] (sec. 9)

    Church and modernity
    Syllabus of Errors. [text](sec. 7)
    Rerum novarum. [text] (sec. 7)
    Encyclical Ecclesiam suam [text] (sec. 8)

    Image
    Sylvester and Constantine (sec. 4)
    The Church Militant and the Church Triumphant (sec. 4)
    Iconostasis in the Church of Saint Gregory Palamas (sec. 5)
    Lucas Cranach the Elder, Law and Grace (sec. 6)
    Caricature from Le rire, 20th may 1905. (sec. 7)


    Church (building)
    Iconostasis in the Church of Saint Gregory Palamas [image] (sec. 5)


    Map
    The Christian churches in the World (sec. 9)
    The proportion of Christians in the World (sec. 9)