SEM 403 History of the Christian Near East

This course examines the rise of eastern Christian churches in the late ancient Near East and how they eventually came to be divided. Students will survey the origins and development of Christianity in Syro-Palestine, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Persia down to the Council of Chalcedon (451 CE). Particular attention will be paid to early varieties of Christian belief and practice, to the development of monasticism, and to the Christological controversies. Course readings include texts translated from various eastern Christian languages, including Coptic, Syriac, and Ethiopic (Ge`ez).

Cross Listed Courses

SEM 403 & SEM 503 & SEM 703