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History

Ancient Christianity

11 lessons

9.5h total length

Learn the inspiring stories of the ancient Christians!

Christ entered the world during the reign of Caesar Augustus. The tensions between Christianity and the Roman Empire shaped the daily practice of the Christian faith and led many Romans to distrust and persecute the early Christians. But Christianity also benefitted from the Roman world. And when Rome collapsed in the West, Christianity provided the hope for preserving civilization.

In our new free online course, “Ancient Christianity,” you’ll learn:

  • how the Jewish, Greek, and Roman cultures all contributed to preparing the world to hear the Gospel.
  • why many Romans distrusted and persecuted the early Christians.
  • the inspiring stories of Christ, His apostles, and faithful ones throughout the first four centuries of Christianity.
  • the arguments of key early Christian apologists—Ignatius, Irenaeus, Justin, Athanasius, and more—who defended and defined the Christian faith amidst the animosity of the Roman world.
  • the conversion of Constantine and how he brought stability to Rome, and how the rivalry between his sons almost returned Rome to paganism.
  • how Augustine’s writings helped preserve the message of Christianity during the collapse of the Roman Empire in the West.

Taught by Professor of History Kenneth Calvert, you will discover the uncertainties, trials, and triumphs of the earliest Christians as they confronted controversies within the faith and persecutions from outside it.

The course includes 11 lectures, each approximately 30 minutes long. You can receive a completion certificate for the course by completing the lectures and quizzes. You will also have access to supplementary Q and A videos, study guides, and a discussion board. The best part is that you can do all of this at your own pace and in a manner that best fits your schedule.

Join Dr. Calvert to discover the improbable and miraculous story of Christianity.

Lessons in this course

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13:32

lesson 1

Introduction

Religion in the ancient world was local and particular. The monotheism of the Jewish faith and the standards of Greek philosophy prepared the way for the growth of Christianity—the universal faith. 

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24:40

lesson 2

The Message of Christianity

Jesus of Nazareth was born to poor Jewish parents under the legal authority of Caesar Augustus—who was declared in his lifetime to be the son of a god and the savior of his people. The great challenge of the early Christians was to explain the audacious message of the Incarnation—that the true God of the Universe entered the world as a baby in Bethlehem. 

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42:56

lesson 3

The World before Christ

Jesus was born into the long history of Judaism, which through the centuries before his birth, included being conquered, exiled, and ruled by foreigners. But this meant that Judaism and its messianic promise were familiar to many cultures, including the Greeks and the Romans. 

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30:19

lesson 4

The Life of Jesus

Jesus performed miraculous healing, encouraged friendliness, and preached peace. Yet the Romans crucified Him because they, and the Jewish leaders, feared His claim to be God would disrupt the order and peace. 

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37:48

lesson 5

Apostles, Creeds, and Scripture

The apostles spread the Gospel throughout the Roman Empire after Christ’s death and trained others to preach the good news. As Christianity spread, many of the leading Christian apologists clarified their faith by forming credal statements of belief.  

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23:17

lesson 6

The Rise of Roman Persecution

Most Romans were suspicious of this new religion because Christians refused to partake in pagan rituals and services that the Romans believed were necessary for good order. And unlike the Jews, the Christians did not have a long history or tradition. 

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32:32

lesson 7

North African Defenders of the Faith

Persecutions eventually spread throughout the Empire and were mandated by the emperors even as the Empire went through a century of chaos and instability. Many leading Christians began to defend their faith more vigorously, which also led to disputes and schisms between believers. 

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20:59

lesson 8

Diocletian and the Great Persecution

The emperor Diocletian managed to bring some momentary peace and stability to Rome by splitting the Empire under four emperors in what is known as the tetrarchy. But he blamed the Christians for the unrest Rome had faced and increased the persecutions. 

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33:39

lesson 9

Constantine and the Council of Nicaea

After the collapse of the tetrarchy, Constantine reunited the Roman Empire. He converted to Christianity after a miraculous vision on the eve of battle. As a serious dispute arose within the faith over the nature of Jesus, Constantine called for the Council of Nicaea to unify the faith. 

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35:20

lesson 10

The Sons of Constantine and the Crisis of Faith

Constantine’s sons divided the Empire but fought amongst one another until the middle brother, Constantius II, controlled the entire Empire. After his death, their cousin Julian assumed the throne but abandoned the Christian faith and tried to revive Roman paganism. 

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23:24

lesson 11

The Collapse of Rome and the Age of Augustine

Augustine of Hippo explained Christian theology throughout his many writings, including Confessions and City of God. He defended the faith during the time when Rome itself was sacked. As the Empire collapsed, Christianity provided the hope and promise of a renaissance of civilization. 

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Enroll in this free course on the birth and spread of Christianity today!

What Current Students Are Saying

The lecture is wonderfully delivered.  The material is both comprehensive and informative and actually brings clarity to many events occurring both before the coming of Christ, during his life on Earth, and during the developmental years of Christianity.

Mark from North Carolina

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