- Instructor: Fr. Morcos Daoud Rizk
- Duration: 8 weeks
This course (PATR 601) explores the beginnings of Patristic literature. It gives a quick glimpse of the first-generation writers after the apostles, the beginnings of the apologetic writings, the beginnings of the writings of the early theologians, the earliest documents of the acts of the martyrs, the first theological schools like the School of Alexandria, the early canonical and liturgical texts, and the catechesis in the Early Church.
This course also introduces the student to the historical context of the various Church Fathers studied in the course. It aims to give as much biographic information as available on those selected fathers, their writings, how their thoughts were shaped, and what contributed to their formation. It then explores, building on this background, the literature of the various Church Fathers, its content, the specific characteristics of each, and the contribution of this literature to more broad Christian thought that was preserved by the Church Tradition.
