HSTAM 209 A: Ancient Christianity: From Jesus to Muhammad

Winter 2025
Meeting:
TTh 2:30pm - 4:20pm / SMI 304
SLN:
22410
Section Type:
Lecture
Joint Sections:
RELIG 209 A
Instructor:
Syllabus Description (from Canvas):

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HSTAM/RELIG 209 — Ancient Christianity: From Jesus to Muhammad

Winter 2025

Professor Mark Letteney

Tuesday and Thursday, 2:30–4:20 PM

 

Who were the earliest followers of Jesus, and how did a small Jewish sect grow into a large gentile movement? What kind of religious world did early Christians inhabit, and what did their spaces of worship look, sound, and smell like? In this class, we will use archaeology and literature to explore the early history of Christianity. We will look at holy and discarded books, early Christian amulets and magical spells, demon-repelling inscriptions, and legendary accounts of Christian heroes and villains. We’ll follow as Christianity morphed from a small apocalyptic movement preparing for the end of the world to a governing elite reorienting the apparatus of state to serve a new theocratic regime, as the classical world transformed into the world of Late Antiquity. Ultimately, we will discuss the birth of monastic life, wandering holy men, and the social-religious crucible which bore another apocalyptic prophet: Muhammad.

Catalog Description:
Offers a survey of ancient Christianity as it grew from a small Jewish sect into a large, predominantly gentile movement. Focuses on the broader religious landscape of the ancient Mediterranean basin and the variety of beliefs and practices attested by diverse groups of Jesus followers in the years before the rise of Islam. Offered: jointly with RELIG 209.
GE Requirements Met:
Social Sciences (SSc)
Credits:
5.0
Status:
Active
Last updated:
January 25, 2025 - 12:24 am