Semester 1, Week 10: War! - The Crusades

In the last class for this semester, we examine some of the simple questions one might encounter when talking about the crusades. We start off by defining what the Crusades were, and what they were not. We then looked at events leading up to the first campaign in 1096 and briefly review the remaining Crusades. Finally, we ponder the impact of the Crusades on Medieval Europe and beyond - the world we will be discussing next semester.

Lesson Notes

Lecture Recording (1:15:22; 69.0 MB)

Additional Resources

Various Crusade Topics	http://www.ctlibrary.com/ch/2002//issue74
Details on each Crusade	http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/the_crusades.htm
Pope Urban II Speech	http://legacy.fordham.edu/halsall/source/urban2-fulcher.html
Myths about the Crusades	http://www.firstprinciplesjournal.com/articles.aspx?article=1483
St. Augustine’s Just War Doctrine	http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl201/modules/Philosophers/Augustine/augustine_justwar.html http://www.catholic.com/blog/steve-weidenkopf/were-the-crusades-just-wars
Pilgrimages	http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/pilg/hd_pilg.htm http://www.medieval-life-and-times.info/medieval-religion/pilgrimage.htm
Indulgences	http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/286800/indulgence
Related Recent History	Islamic State in Iraq and Syria/Levant/al-Sham https://www.worldwatchmonitor.org/2014/06/article_3183091.html http://www.christianitytoday.com/gleanings/2014/june/thousands-flee-as-terrorists-take-over-iraq-christian-mosul.html Pope backs up military action against IS http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/vatican-backs-using-force-against-is/ar-AA9Myn3

Semester 1, Week 09: All Authority on Earth

The disintegration of Rome did not mean just the loss of a culture. There were very pragmatic and dire consequences to losing governing institutions, including loss of most basic needs like food distribution, social order, law enforcement, and so on. When Rome disintegrated, the Holy Roman Empire emerged to fill the void.

This class looks at the development of that Empire. We also look at an institution that continues to this day: the Papacy.

Lesson Notes

White Board

Lecture Recording (1:16:53; 70.3 MB)

Maps of Europe from 1 - 2000 AD

Errata: During the lecture, I incorrectly referred to Pope Innocent II as the one that placed England under a Papal Interdict in 1208. The correct person was Pope Innocent III.

Postscript: Some questions came up regarding how the Pope was elected, and how his name is chosen. I found the following website that addresses some of those questions.

http://taylormarshall.com/2013/03/20-fun-facts-about-papal-elections-in.html

Semester 1, Week 08: Augustine

St. Augustine of Hippo was a singular figure who stood in the gap between a dying Classical world and what would come to be called the Middle Ages. His thinking would help shape the Christian world for the next 1000 years, yet is still as vital and controversial today as ever.

He will help advance our thinking about the nature of church and salvation. He is equally celebrated by Protestants and Catholics. But his impact doesn’t stop at spirituality – it will extend into psychology and philosophy

St. Augustine may be considered the first Modern thinker. Much of Western civilization’s conception of self will be informed by him. His life is captured for us in an autobiography that pulls no punches. He sees in himself the great battle that all humanity contends with.

This lesson will be split into two segments. The first part will look at his life – the major events that helped form him. The second will look at the Theological positions he held. Looking at his life first will make clearer the positions he later took on doctrinal issues and in his writings. Remember: theology is biography.

Lesson Notes

White Board

Lecture Recording (1:12:38; 66.5 MB)


Additional Resources

Resource	URL	Description
Augustine of Hippo: A Life	Click Here	Great short biography
The Confessions of Saint Augustine	Click Here	Great autobiography

Semester 1, Week 07: The Bible

Christians have always revered the word of God, but we didn't always have it in the form we enjoy today - the Holy Bible. This class traces the events that led to the Bible in its final canonized form. We focus on the dates of the books, the languages involved, and why the Church had to begin the process of canonization. We end by briefly addressing some common objections to the authenticity of our sacred scriptures.

Teacher's Guide

Lecture Recording (1:24:47; 78 MB)

Additional Resources

Resource	URL	Description
Dates of the Books of the Bible	http://www.provethebible.net/T2-Integ/B-0402.htm
British Library	http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/sacredtexts/index.html	Online Sacred Texts
The Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts	http://www.csntm.org/Manuscripts.aspx	images of manuscripts
Codex Sinaiticus	http://www.codexsinaiticus.com/en/	Codex Sinaiticus images, translations, etc
The Development of the Canon of the New Testament	http://www.ntcanon.org/index.shtml	Great resource, especially the "Cross Reference Table: Writings and Authorities"
"How We Got The Bible" by Neil Lightfoot	http://www.amazon.com/How-Got-Bible-Neil-Lightfoot/dp/0801072611/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426140299&sr=8-1&keywords=how+we+got+the+bible	An excellent book detailing the development of the Bible.
"The Story of The Bible" by Larry Stone	http://www.amazon.com/Story-Bible-Fascinating-Translation-Civilization/dp/1595551190/ref=sr_1_2_twi_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1426140394&sr=8-2&keywords=The+Story+of+the+Bible	Another great book detailing the development of the Bible. This one includes pull-out copies of famous manuscripts.

Semester 1, Week 06: Monks - Rebels With a Cause

Tonight's class looks at a revolution that grew when Christianity began to enjoy the favor of the Empire. What motivated St. Anthony to leave his inheritance behind? When did monks start living together as a community? Who lived on top of a column for 30 years? And what did the Church think about these rebellious monks?

Teacher's Guide

Lecture Recording (0:55:05; 50.4 MB)

Full Picture

Semester 1, Week 05: Politics

Tonight's class examines the transition of the Church from persecuted to triumphant. Through circumstances no one could have foreseen, the Church began to enjoy favored status from the same Empire that tried to kill them off. Who or what events cause this transition? What impact did this have on the Church?

Teacher's Guide

Lecture Recording (1:15:08; 68.7 MB)

Full Picture

Detail 1

Detail 2

Detail 3

Semester 1, Week 04: Persecution - The Seeds of the Church

Tonight's class completes the series on "Becoming Christian" by looking at martyrdom and persecution in early Christianity. We examine how Romans understood the role of religion in the Empire. This knowledge helped us to understand the motivations that drove local persecutions - and eventually across the Empire itself. But how did these persecutions affect the Church beyond just loss of precious lives?

Next week, we'll look at the how early Christians dealt with their new found political favor.

Teacher's Guide

Lecture Recording (1:20:58; 74.1 MB)

Semester 1, Week 03: Heresy - The Family Feud

Tonight's class continues a series on "Becoming Christian" by looking at dangerous ideas in early Christianity. We learn what Scripture teaches about heresy before looking at four specific heretical ideas. We finish up with how the Church responded and navigated the truth in a world full of ideas. There is much to learn about our times from theirs. Thank God for the help of the Holy Spirit.

Teacher's Guide

Slide Deck

Lecture Recording (1:13:02; 66.8 MB)

Semester 1, Week 02: Becoming Christian - Culture and Missions

Tonight's class begins a series on "Becoming Christian". Luke 2:1-5 gives us a glimpse of the cultures that would help shape the faith - Jews, Greeks, and Romans. We learned a little more about these cultures and their relationship with Palestine. When the Temple is destroyed in 70 AD, Jews and Christians are forced out into those cultures. This sets up the next few lessons where we will consider how the Christians dealt with their new reality.

Teacher's Guide

Student's Guide

Slide Deck

Lecture Recording (1:00:34; 55.4 MB)

Semester I, Week 01: Introduction

In this class, the groundwork is laid for the semester. We learn how history helps us to be more passionate servants of Jesus Christ. We consider the idea of transition: not this-then-that but rather this-TO-that. We then focus our attention on the first part of a story that will cover two semesters. How did the church transition from a small, Jewish sect willing to die for its faith - into a powerful, Gentile empire willing to kill for it? The answers will set up next semester when we learn how the church is humbled and corrected.

Teacher's Guide

Student's Guide

Semester Overview Drawing

Slide Deck

Lecture Recording (1:04:38; 59.1 MB)
(note: teaching begins at 18:00 and corresponds to page 7 in the Slide Deck)