T7171A Early Church Fathers

⇒ Back Course Disciplines

This course unit engages the thought and methods of the early Church Fathers, investigating the major trends in Christian tradition up to the early fifth century. It assists students to understand the connection between historical circumstances, the spiritual life and the formulation of Christian theology.

Unit Code:		T7171A
Unit Name:		Early Church Fathers
Credit Value:		9 credit points
Mode of Study:		Face to Face/ Synchronous ZOOM and Asynchronous.
Pre-Requisite Units:		Nil

Background
The Orthodox Church venerates the Fathers; saints that are immediate participants in Christ, some of whom were prolific authors and whose work was instrumental in the formulation of Orthodox theology. This course unit addresses the writings of the early Church Fathers; from the sub-apostolic martyr-bishops to the second century apologists and culminating in the writings of the Cappadocians in the fourth century, and their legacy that extends well into the fifth century and beyond.

Learning Outcomes
At the end of this course unit, students should be able to:

1. Appreciate the historical and ecclesial contexts of various trends in early patristic tradition
2. Display an awareness of the main themes pertaining to early patristic tradition
3. Utilise primary and secondary sources in the analysis of patristic themes
4. Analyse themes pertaining to the early patristic tradition within their immediate and distant literary and historical contexts
5. Assess the relevance of patristic tradition to contemporary scholarship and the Christian experience

During this course unit, students may acquire the following threshold concept. This concept is fundamental to a proper understanding of the unit or course. It is essential for further progress in the discipline.

Drawing on the experience of the first Christian century, early Church Fathers decisively contributed to the articulation of the Christian doctrine and practice. Trends in Byzantine tradition cannot be properly comprehended without the mastery of the early period.

Weekly Topics