THE-481: History of Development of Christian Doctrine

This course reflects the strong conviction among academics that Jaroslav Pelikan’s 5 volume set “History of the Development of Christian Doctrine” is essential reading for all doctoral students.

Using EUCLID’s standard breakdown of course material in 5 study periods naturally follows the 5 volume organization.

The overall objectives of this course are:

– To understand the main areas of controversy in Christian theology, from an historical perspective

– To understand the specificities of Eastern / Greek theological thought (as distinguished from Latin thought)

– To articulate the main issues associated with the Reformation and how these continue to affect Christianity today.

Course Outcomes:

Upon completion of this course, the student is expected to able to:

discuss the great dates and actors most relevant to the evolution and development of Christian theology, including:

• the so-called Ecumenical Councils
• the Great Schism
• the influence and legacy of St Augustine
• Medieval themes and controversies
• Scholasticism
• The Reformation and Counter-Reformation
• contemporary issues.