Course Syllabus

Instructor: Micah Saxton PhD
E-mail: msaxton@iliff.edu
Office Hours: By appointment

Course Synopsis:

This course will begin with a survey of the Hellenistic schools of philosophy, Greco-Roman religions, and classical literature. It will then survey major early Christian authors (through Gregory I) with an eye to how they adopted, adapted, and/or rejected elements of the classical tradition. Key questions will be: What elements from the classical tradition had the greatest influence on developing Christian theologies and praxis? How did Christianity distinguish itself from other religions and philosophies? In what ways did Christian intellectuals interact with their "pagan" counterparts?

 

Books for the Course:

Required Texts:

Ferguson, Everett. Backgrounds of Early Christianity. Third Edition. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2003. ISBN: 978-0802822215 

Jaeger, Werner. Early Christianity and Greek Paideia. Reprint. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University, 1985. ISBN: 978-0674220522

You will also be assigned ONE of the following:

Apuleius. The Golden Ass. Oxford World’s Classics. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.

Cicero. On the Nature of the Gods. Oxford World’s Classics. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.

Euripides. Bacchae and Other Plays. Oxford World’s Classics. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.

Hesiod. Theogony and Works and Days. Oxford World’s Classics. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.

Homer. The Iliad. Oxford World’s Classics. New York: Oxford University Press, 2012.

Plutarch. Roman Lives. Oxford World’s Classics. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.

Seneca. Dialogues and Essays. Oxford World’s Classics. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.

Virgil. The Aeneid. Oxford World’s Classics. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.

Recommended Texts for Further Study: 

Beard, Mary, et al. Religions of Rome: Volume 1: A History. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998.

Beard, Mary, et al. Religions of Rome: Volume 2: A Sourcebook. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998. 

Boardman, John. et al. Oxford History of Greece and the Hellenistic World. Second Edition. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.

Boardman, John. et al. Oxford History of the Roman World. Reprint Edition. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001. 

Fox, Robin Lane. Pagans and Christians. New York: Alfred A. Knopf , 1989.

Fox, Robin Lane. The Classical World. New York: Basic Books, 2006.

Hamilton, Edith. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes. New York: Penguin Books, 1969.

Jaeger, Werner. Paideia: The Ideals of Greek Culture. Translated by Gilbert Highet. 3 vols. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1943-1945.

Young, Frances et. all. The Cambridge History of Early Christian Literature. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004.

See Taylor Library's list of online book sellers for purchasing options.

Overview and Objectives

Evaluation

Policies And Services

Degree Learning Goals

Course Summary:

Date Details Due