section | e-texts | images | words

1) Tues. 9/10. Religious Thought and Practice in the Roman Empire.

Required Readings:
Sourcebook: Ferguson, Everett, Backgrounds of Early Christianity (Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1992): "Ancient Roman Religion," 154-165; "Hellenistic-Roman Philosophies," pp. 304-371. (Copywrited) If you have time read the Fergusson selection for next class.
Sourcebook 1: Selections from Marcus Aurelius's Meditations
Sourcebook 1: Pliny /Trajan Correspondence. (See also pp. 557-558 in Ferguson readings for next class).

2) Thurs. 9/12. Diversity of Thought and Practice Among Early Christians.

Required Readings:
Sourcebook: Ferguson, Everett, Backgrounds of Early Christianity (Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1992): "Gnosticism, Hermetic Literature, Chaldean Oracles," 282-293; "Christianity in the Ancient World," 547-583. (Copywrited)
Sourcebook 1: Selections from Books 1 & 5 of Irenaeus, Against All the Heresies
Sourcebook 1: "Thunder Perfect Mind."
Sourcebook 1: Letter to Diognetus (c. 130-180), selections illustrating Christian ideals in second century.
Sourcebook 1: Justin Martyr, "Christian Baptism and Worship," from Apology, I, 61-7.

Class handout: Selections from Egeria, Itinerarium (381-4) and Justin Martyr on conversion, from Dialogue with Trypho, 110, 3-4.

Section 1. Discuss:
Sourcebook 1: Selections from Books 1 & 5 of Irenaeus, Against All the Heresies
Sourcebook: Pagels, E., The Gnostic Gospels (New York: Vintage Books, 1989): xiii-xxiii, xxxii-27, 142-151.

On-line Resources:
Note links to Gnositics and entire text of Irenaeus on Ad hoc.

E-texts:
Irenaeus
Pliny the Younger: Letter on the Christians, OMS.
Porphyry: Against the Christians, OMS.
Sidonius Apollinaris: "Country House Life in Gaul" and "A Visigothic King" OMS.
Ignatius: Letter to Polycarp OMS.
Polycarp: letter OMS.

Images:

Words:
anthropomorphism
apocalyptic*
apology*
Aristotle (384-322 B.C.E.)
Augustan Age - 30 BC-14 AD
Barnabas of Alexandria (late first early secind century) Apologist
Centers of Early Christianity and production of early Christian literature: Rome, Antioch, Alexandria, Smyrna, Athens, Palestine.
Clement of Rome (c. 30-c. 100)
Cybele-Attis
Death of Peregrinus, B
Destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem, 70 AD
Diaspora
Didache
Docetism
Epictetus (c. 50-c. 125)
epistomology
Eusebius of Caesarea
Gnosis, gnosticism
Hadrian
Hellenism, Hellenistic, Hellenized
Hermas, the Shepherd (late first early second century)
Ignatius of Antioch in Syria (d. 117)
Imperial Cult
koine - "common language," the vernacular Greek of the Hellenistic world.
Lucian of Samosata (d. 192)
Marcus Aurelius
Melito of Sardis (Comby, 17)
Middle Platonism
Minucius Felix, Octavius
Mithras
Mystery religion
Neoplatonism
numen, numina
ontology
Pax Romana
pietas
Plato (429-347 B.C.E.)
Pliny
Plotinus (205-270)
Polycarp of Smyrna (c. 60-160)
Porphyry (232-c.305)
Proselytes
religio
Seneca (d.65)
Septuagint
Socrates (469-399 B.C.E.)
Stoicism, Stoics
syncretism
Tacitus
Trajan


Ad Hoc | 700a Homepage | Syllabus | Top of this page | Next week