This is our catalog of courses. We will occasionally adjust the course listing to reflect the addition of new courses and the retirement of others.
In the history of our Catholic faith, the first seven councils of the Church are some of the greatest works of developing and understanding the orthodox faith. Register for this course to explore the history and theology of these councils, to help you understand the bedrock of our faith.
Special notes: Course materials are provided free. This is Part One of a 2-Part course.
Total classes: 12
Duration: 55 minutes per class
Prerequisite: None
Suggested grade level: 10th to 12th grade
Suggested credit: One full semester Theology or History
Description
In a similar way to how understanding the federalist papers helps us understand the constitution, understanding the first seven councils of the Church helps us understand the creed itself. These church councils were convened by Roman Emperors and attended by the oikoumene, the bishops of the known world. Convened to deal with church-shattering theological crises, these counsels and the ideas found here make up the majority of the Catechism now. We will be considering each council, the events leading up to the council, and the theological definitions coming from them.
Outline
Class 1: What is an Ecumenical Council?
Class 2: The Council of Jerusalem
Class 3: What is God?
Class 4: The Gnostics
Class 5: Arias and The Council of Nicaea
Class 6: Defiance of Council and spread.
Class 7: Midterm Review
Class 8: Political Arianism
Class 9: The Council of Constantinople
Class 10: Nestorius
Class 11: The Council of Ephesus
Class 12: Final Review
Materials and Homework
Course materials: Readings will be provided FREE by the instructor as PDF files.
Homework: Each class, students will be required to read a short selection from the Councils of approximately 15-20 pages per week. Some of the reading can be somewhat dense and the classes will help the students with understanding. Students will take a short-answer quiz after watching each recording, graded by the parent.
