Age of Schisms: History of the Eastern Churches 451-1204

This course will examine the history of the Church from the years 451 (the Council of Chalcedon) to 1204 (the sac of
Constantinople) with emphasis on the Eastern Churches. Key topics will include the Council of Chalcedon and the
following Ecumenical Councils, the reign of Emperor Justinian, the Great Schism, and the Crusades. Throughout the
course, emphasis will be placed on engaging with primary sources. In addition, we will pay special attention to the nature
of Church History as a discipline, and what it means to study Christianity during an often difficult time. The course will be
assessed on the basis ofJarticipation in class discussions, short examinations on factual data (names, dates, etc), and
two written assignments demonstrating students' ability to use primary sources in the study of history.