Hillsdale College’s free online course, Ancient Christianity, presents a faithful understanding of the nature of Jesus and the early years of the church he founded up through the time of the collapse of the Roman Empire.
After an introduction by Dr. Larry Arnn, the course’s 11 lessons are taught by historian Dr. Kenneth Calvert. Each lesson is taught through a heavily illustrated video lecture, each running 21 to 43 minutes, followed by an online quiz. A final test has 50 questions. Most lessons include one or more PDFs for supplemental reading, such as one on Nero’s persecution of the Christians for Lesson 3. Most of the readings are from primary source documents.
A four-page, downloadable study guide for each lesson outlines the lecture, repeats key biblical passages, and presents three discussion questions such as, “How did Christianity benefit from Judaism, Greek culture, and the Roman Empire?” (Study Guide: Lesson 2).
In the first of Calvert’s lectures (Lesson 2), he begins by explaining the radical nature of the incarnation, God physically entering into his creation. Then he discusses three elements that paved the way for Christianity: Judaism (a monotheistic religion that presented “salvation history,” including an expected Messiah), Greek culture (which gave Christians the language and philosophical ideas that helped them understand and explain Christianity), and the Pax Romana (it’s peace and order allowed the spread of Christianity).
Lesson 3 looks back to “The World Before Christ” to provide more context for the birth of Christianity by exploring the Jewish exile, the Hellenization of the Jews after Alexander the Great, the rebellion of the Maccabees, and Judaism under Roman control from 63 BC until the time of Nero.
With that background in mind, Lesson 4 teaches about the life of Jesus, and Lesson 5 explores the apostles, the creeds, and scripture.
In Lesson 6, students learn about the rise of Roman persecutions. Lesson 7 teaches about “North African Defenders of the Faith”: Tertullian, Cyprian, Clement, and Origen. Lesson 8 focuses on the great persecution under Diocletian.
In the ninth lesson, Calvert turns to pivotal events for Christianity under Constantine and the Council of Nicaea, and he follows up with a lesson on the sons of Constantine and the survival of Christianity through the challenges each of them presented.
The final lesson teaches about the fall of the Roman empire and the “Age of Augustine” in the fifth century. That lecture ends on a positive note with brief mentions of some signs of recovery and renaissance yet to come.
Calvert frequently mentions apostolic succession and the importance of apostolic authority, concepts critical to some Christians and problematic for others. This issue, along with comments asserting the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist and the ever-virginity of Mary, makes the course more supportive of the beliefs of Catholic, Anglican, and Orthodox Christians rather than those of most Protestants.
Because it is primarily a historical examination of Christianity rather than a theology course, it can be used as a church history course or as part of a student’s world history course.
The course is very accessible for high school students who can work independently for the most part. The discussion questions are excellent and should not be skipped. Homeschooling parents might follow along with the lectures to be prepared to discuss the questions with their teens.
Summary
Ancient Christianity is another one of Hillsdale’s excellent courses that they offer for free, and it’s entertaining, informative, and easy to use.
