The History of Christian Theology

Course Overview

Join Professor Cary for an enriching and thought-provoking journey into the fascinating and inspiring world of Christian thought.

Today, the story of Jesus is known the world over. And yet, more than two millennia later, great thinkers and everyday people still struggle to answer questions like: Who was Jesus? Does his salvation apply to everyone? How does one become saved? Over the centuries, these questions have led to fierce debate and produced deep divisions among the faithful. They have driven profound acts of faith and worship, incited war and persecution, contributed to the building of nations, and shaped lives, profoundly influencing some of the greatest thinkers of Western philosophy. To ponder such questions is to understand the very shape of the Western world and to comprehend the remarkable power Christian faith holds in the lives of believers.

Now, you have the opportunity to explore these profound questions and the many responses believers, scholars, and theologians have developed over more than 2,000 years. Through this 36-lecture course, award-winning Professor Phillip Cary of Eastern University reveals the enduring power of the Christian tradition as both an intellectual discipline and a spiritual path.

Through this course, you will gain thought-provoking insights into a set of teachings that changed the world and discover how, by learning about the diverse beliefs and practices within the wider Christian community, you can enrich your own experience of this great faith.

Video Lecture List

1. What Is Theology?

• 32 min
• This lecture offers a definition of the intellectual discipline that seeks to answer critical theological questions: Who is Jesus Christ? How does his life impact the lives of the faithful?

1. Early Christian Proclamation

• 31 min
• Gain an understanding of what the first members of the faith believed about Jesus as you explore the earliest recorded Christian hymns, prayers, and sermons.

1. Pauline Eschatology

• 32 min
• This lecture examines the theology of the expectation of the Second Coming, as presented in the writings of the apostle Paul.

1. The Synoptic Gospels

• 31 min
• Analyze the literary structure of the synoptic Gospels as they narrate the life of Jesus and evoke answers to the question, “Who do you think Jesus is?”

1. The Gospel of John

• 31 min
• Explore the unique elements of John’s message, including his prologue declaring Jesus as the Word of God made flesh, and how it establishes a foundation for later doctrines about Christ’s divinity.

1. Varieties of Early Christianity

• 31 min
• Examine some radical offshoots of Gentile Christianity, particularly the Gnostics, and how these groups rejected Christianity’s Jewish roots.

1. The Emergence of Christian Doctrine

• 31 min
• Learn how the mainstream church developed institutions to maintain continuity with the apostolic tradition in response to Gnosticism and other rejected teachings.

1. Christian Reading

• 32 min
• Explore how early Christians developed strategies to interpret Jewish scriptures as bearing witness to Jesus Christ.

1. The Uses of Philosophy

• 32 min
• Investigate the interplay between early Christianity and ancient philosophy, including themes from Platonist metaphysics and Stoic moralism.

1. The Doctrine of the Trinity

• 32 min
• Examine the doctrine of the Trinity, which defines the God of Christianity as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—a single divine essence manifested in three distinct persons.

(…Continued through all 36 lectures)