H101 - Church History, Semester 1 of 2
A fact filled survey of the unfolding of God’s plan in the church from Pentecost to the present.
Highlights of the class include: early martyrs and life in the catacombs of Rome; a synopsis of
the Greek and Latin church fathers; a summary of all major ecumenical church councils; the
centuries long development of various doctrines, both true and false; Islam’s threat against the
church; the crusades; specific incidents of Papal corruption in the “midnight hour of the
Papacy”; the horrors of the Inquisition; the “Babylonian captivity” of the papacy and its
subsequent popes and anti-popes; how denominational churches formed from “splinter
groups” of believers dissatisfied with the status quo of their day; revivalists of England and
America; the return of Pentecost and the Neo-Pentecostal church; biographical details about
the men who shaped church history; and the analysis of factors determining the rise and fall of
spiritual movements and counter movements over the centuries. As the instructor focuses on
the complex family tree of Protestant denominations which originated in Europe and America,
students learn the causes behind the many splits and how the various splinter groups
prospered or declined. Many of the lectures are richly edifying; and students share the
heartfelt emotions of joy, disappointment, suspense, humor, and spiritual hunger experienced
by those whose stories are being retold. 4 credits. Prerequisites: The Book of Acts, BI53; The
Pauline Epistles, Bl55-158; and four semesters.
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