Previous Years' Course Catalogues

This course will examine the history of the Orthodox Christian churches (including "Eastern," Assyrian and Oriental Orthodox) from 1204 to the present. Key topics will include Orthodox relations with Roman Catholic and Protestant communities, with Islam, and with Communism, as well as hesychasm, liturgical reform, missions, Orthodox ethnicism, the Orthodox "diaspora," and the growth of Orthodoxy as a Western phenomenon. 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, what it means to study Christianity during an often difficult time, and the pastoral mission of Church historians.

This course will examine the history of the Orthodox Christian churches (including "Eastern," Assyrian and Oriental Orthodox) from 1204 to the present. Key topics will include Orthodox relations with Roman Catholic and Protestant communities, with Islam, and with Communism, as well as hesychasm, liturgical reform, missions, Orthodox ethnicism, the Orthodox "diaspora," and the growth of Orthodoxy as a Western phenomenon. 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, what it means to study Christianity during an often difficult time, and the pastoral mission of Church historians.

A continuation of TRH2412H, this course evaluates the development of world Orthodoxy following the 1204 Sack of Constantinople. Stages of dialogue with the "modern" world and the impact this has internally and in external relations. Special attention to Orthodox responses to the political and intellectual crises of the 20th C., and to the emigration to pluralistic regions such as Europe and North America. Orthodoxy in ecumenism.

This course will examine the history of the Orthodox Christian churches (including "Eastern," Assyrian and Oriental Orthodox) from 1204 to the present. Key topics will include Orthodox relations with Roman Catholic and Protestant communities, with Islam, and with Communism, as well as hesychasm, liturgical reform, missions, Orthodox ethnicism, the Orthodox "diaspora," and the growth of Orthodoxy as a Western phenomenon. 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, what it means to study Christianity during an often difficult time, and the pastoral mission of Church historians.

This course will examine the context, culturally, theologically and historically of how the Roman Catholic Church wascompelled to denounce certain contemptuous teachings regarding Jews and Judaism as well as to clarify and embrace the role of Israel in salvation history. This course also has relevance for religious studies in general. What the dramatic evolution of Catholic teaching on Judaism and the Jews illustrates is the dynamic character of religious traditions. Notwithstanding an impulse to be faithful to the truth upon which they were founded, religious traditions are nonethelesscapable of responding in innovating ways to cultural changes and historical events.

This course will examine the context, culturally, theologically and historically of how the Roman Catholic Church was compelled to denounce certain contemptuous teachings regarding Jews and Judaism as well as to clarify and embrace the role of Israel in salvation history. This course also has relevance for religious studies in general. What the dramatic evolution of Catholic teaching on Judaism and the Jews illustrates is the dynamic character of religious traditions. Notwithstanding an impulse to be faithful to the truth upon which they were founded, religious traditions are nonethelesscapable of responding in innovating ways to cultural changes and historical events.

The first 450 years of Christianity reveal an essential central notion that faith requires ecclesiology and church membership for salvation; but the concrete history of the world-wide church reveals a rough-and-tumble dynamic of competing choices about the truth that constitute "church"; can an "Orthodox norm" of tradition and apostolicity be recognized in such a situation? Study of social, institutional, theological, spiritual, pastoral, "Gospel-and-local-culture", political, aspects of church life from primary sources. Not open to students who take - History of Christianity I (to AD 843).

This course will examine the earliest history of Christianity and the Christian Church from the time of Christ to 451 CE, doing so especially from an Orthodox Christian perspective. Key topics will include the Apostolic period, early cultural and political transitions after the time of the Apostles, the growth and fragmentation of Christianity in the 2nd Century, the rise of monasticism and the episcopacy, the encounter of Christianity and Roman imperial culture in the 2nd and 3rd Centuries (both through persecution and cooperation), the rise of Christianity as Roman state religion through Constantine and Theodosius, and the Councils of Nicaea, I-Constantinople and Ephesus along with the lead-up to the Council of Chalcedon.

This course will examine the earliest history of Christianity and the Christian Church from the time of Christ to 451 CE,
doing so especially from an Orthodox Christian perspective. Key topics will include the Apostolic period, early cultural and political transitions after the time of the Apostles, the growth and fragmentation of Christianity in the 2nd Century, the rise of monasticism and the episcopacy, the encounter of Christianity and Roman imperial culture in the 2nd and 3rd Centuries (both through persecution and cooperation), the rise of Christianity as Roman state religion through Constantine and Theodosius, and the Councils of Nicaea, I-Constantinople and Ephesus along with the lead-up to the Council of Chalcedon.

This course will examine the earliest history of Christianity and the Christian Church from the time of Christ to 451 CE, doing so especially from an Orthodox Christian perspective. Key topics will include the Apostolic period, early cultural and political transitions after the time of the Apostles, the growth and fragmentation of Christianity in the 2nd Century, the rise of monasticism and the episcopacy, the encounter of Christianity and Roman imperial culture in the 2nd and 3rd Centuries (both through persecution and cooperation), the rise of Christianity as Roman state religion through Constantine and Theodosius, and the Councils of Nicaea, I-Constantinople and Ephesus along with the lead-up to the Council of Chalcedon.

This course will examine the earliest history of Christianity and the Christian Church from the time of Christ to 451 CE,
doing so especially from an Orthodox Christian perspective. Key topics will include the Apostolic period, early cultural and political transitions after the time of the Apostles, the growth and fragmentation of Christianity in the 2nd Century, the rise of monasticism and the episcopacy, the encounter of Christianity and Roman imperial culture in the 2nd and 3rd Centuries (both through persecution and cooperation), the rise of Christianity as Roman state religion through Constantine and Theodosius, and the Councils of Nicaea, I-Constantinople and Ephesus along with the lead-up to the Council of Chalcedon.

This course is an overview of the modern era of ecclesiastical history. Beginning with the Enlightenment, we will examine the relationship between the Catholic Church and the world until Vatican II. In the way we will look at the age of revolution, what new ideas like liberalism meant and how popes of the nineteenth century sought to deal with them. The worldwide missionary experience of the Catholic Church at the time, as well as the rich history of Canadian Catholicism will be discussed. Pius IX, Vatican I and the pontificate of Leo XIII will be a key part of the course, as well an examination of the issues that the Church had to confront in the twentieth century, such as world wars and the holocaust. Light will be shed on these topics trough assigned readings, biographical studies and the study of examples of art and architecture from the period.