FF:RLKA06 Christianity I - Course Information

RLKA06 Christianity I

Extent and Intensity

2/0/0. 6 credit(s) (plus 1 credit for an exam). Recommended Type of Completion: zk (examination). Other types of completion: k (colloquium).

Teacher(s)

doc. PhDr. David Zbíral, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. František Novotný, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Mgr. Vít Marša, Ph.D. (lecturer)

Guaranteed by

Mgr. Jana Valtrová, Ph.D.
Department for the Study of Religions – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Mgr. Kateřina Sedlářová
Supplier department: Department for the Study of Religions – Faculty of Arts

Timetable

Fri 21. 9. 14:00–17:40 J22, Fri 19. 10. 14:00–17:40 J22, Fri 16. 11. 14:00–17:40 J22

Course Enrolment Limitations

The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with

• Study of Religions (programme FF, B-PH)

Course objectives

The course offers basic information on the evolution of Christianity from its rise in the context of the late Hellenistic world, passing through progressive institutionalization and the formation of orthodoxy during late antiquity to the history of Christianity in the Middle Ages. The course aims not only at the history of Christian thought, but also at the development of institutions and cultic life.

Learning outcomes

After completing the course, students will be able to:

describe the most important phenomena and trends in the development of Christianity from its beginnings up to 1500 A.D.;

summarize and interpret (on a basic level) some Christian texts (e.g. New Testament, Gospel of Thomas and the Dialogus miraculorum by Caesarius of Heisterbach);

understand (on a basic level) even other common Christian texts from the period up to 1500 A.D.;

use the terminology of the Christian tradition and its historical and social scientific study;

distinguish the historical and academic approach to events and phenomena in the history of Christianity from the non-academic (confessional, polemical...);

summarize sources analytically.

Syllabus

• Introduction to the course, conditions of completion.
• Academic study of Christianity.
• Rise of Christianity.
• Orthodoxy and heresy in the ancient Christianity.
• Historical development of Christianity in the 2nd-6th century.
• Christian literature and theology in the 2nd-6th century.
• Biblical text, liturgical books.
• Spread and differentiation of Christianity in the 4th-10th century.
• Ascetic and reform movements in medieval Western Christendom.
• Orthodoxy and heresy in medieval Christianity.
• Oral and written culture in medieval Europe.
• Evolution of the western Christianity in the Late Middle Ages.
• Detailed information: see the ELF e-learning system (http://elf.phil.muni.cz/).

Literature

required literature
• PAPOUŠEK, Dalibor. Burton L. Mack a projekt religionistické reinterpretace počátků křesťanství (Burton L. Mack and the project of academic reinterpretation of Christian origins). Religio : revue pro religionistiku. Brno: Česká společnost pro studium náboženství, 2002, vol. 10, No 1, p. 95-112. ISSN 1210-3640. online info
• Rané křesťanství : počátky a vývoj církve do roku 600. Edited by Ian Hazlett, Translated by Petr Kitzler. 1. vyd. Brno: CDK (Centrum pro studium demokracie a kultury), 2009, 319 s. ISBN 9788073251598. info
• BROOKE, Christopher. Evropa středověku v letech 962-1154. Translated by Matěj Brabec - Ladislav Dlabal - Jindřich Manďák. Vyd. 1. Praha: Vyšehrad, 2006, 479 s. ISBN 8070218312. info
• MUNDY, John Hine. Evropa vrcholného středověku 1150-1300. Translated by Kateřina Novotná. Vyd. 1. Praha: Vyšehrad, 2008, 446 s. ISBN 9788070219270. info
• HAY, Denys. Evropa pozdního středověku, 1300-1500. Translated by Kateřina Brabcová - Jindřich Manďák. Vyd. 1. Praha: Vyšehrad, 2010, 412 s. ISBN 9788070219867. info
• ZBÍRAL, David. Formování křesťanství a jeho vývoj do konce středověku. In Náboženství světa I: Západní tradice. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2014, p. 79-86. ISBN 978-80-210-7199-5. PDF online info
• ZBÍRAL, David. Vývoj křesťanských rituálů. In Náboženství světa I: Západní tradice. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2014, p. 87-95. ISBN 978-80-210-7199-5. PDF online info

recommended literature
• FILIPI, Pavel. Křesťanstvo :historie, statistika, charakteristika křesťanských církví. 1. vyd. Brno: Centrum pro studium demokracie a kultury, 1996, 197 s. ISBN 80-85959-10-0. info
• PAPOUŠEK, Dalibor. Počátky křesťanství (The Origins of Christianity). 1. vyd. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2014, 149 pp. ISBN 978-80-210-6920-6. Digitální knihovna FF MU info

Teaching methods

Lectures, multimedia, home reading, written submissions with feedback from the teachers.

Assessment methods

Examination
Two written tests based on the required reading, lectures, and presentations, one concerning ancient Christianity and the other medieval Christianity (100+100 points, the minimum of 120 points is required to pass the tests, which is a prerequisite for the oral examination).
Submission of three analytical abstracts of source texts, evaluated (prerequisite for the oral examination, 25 % of the final evaluation).
Oral examination (75 % of the final evaluation).
Colloquium
Two written tests based on the required reading, lectures, and presentations, one concerning ancient Christianity and the other medieval Christianity (100+100 points, the minimum of 120 points is required to pass the tests.
Further information
The type of completion “Examination” is compulsory for the students of the “Study of Religions” study programmes.
See the course in the ELF e-learning system (http://elf.phil.muni.cz/) for detailed information on the requirements.

Language of instruction

Czech

Follow-Up Courses

• RLKA07 Christianity II

Further comments (probably available only in Czech)

Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
Information on the extent and intensity of the course: bloková výuka.
Information on course enrolment limitations: Zápis mimo religionistiku je podmíněn souhlasem vyučujícího.

Information about innovation of course.

This course has been innovated under the project "Faculty of Arts as Centre of Excellence in Education: Complex Innovation of Study Programmes and Fields at FF MU with Regard to the Requirements of the Knowledge Economy“ – Reg. No. CZ.1.07/2.2.00/28.0228, which is cofinanced by the European Social Fond and the national budget of the Czech Republic.

Listed among pre-requisites of other courses

• RLBcB016 Christianity and Heresies
  (RLA06 && RLA07) || (RLKA06 && RLKA07) || (RLBcA006 && RLBcA007) || (RLBcKA006 && RLBcKA007) || !RLB16  
• RLBcB215 Religion in Poland
  (RLA06 || RLKA06 || RLBcA006 || RLBcKA006) && (RLA07 || RLKA07 || RLBcA007 || RLBcKA007) && !RLB215  
• RLBcB530 Christianization of Europe
  RLA06 || RLKA06 || RLB34  

• Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2018, recent)
  
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