Università Roma Tre

Course title 2021-2022: An introduction to the Ancient Christianity: from Jesus to the emergence of Islam.

Teaching articulation: 6 CFU

Semester: I


Course description:

The course aims to introduce students to the History of Christianity, starting from the figure of Jesus, framed in the cultural context of Second Temple Judaism, up to the 8th century: the presentation is not limited to the horizon of the Roman Catholic Church, but considers also the different manifestations and the multiple developments of Christianity within the first eight centuries until the emergence of Islam. Specific purpose of the course is to start the student to a critical reading of the sources, with particular attention to methodological questions and scholarly debate.
During the course, we will visit – if it will be possible – some significant places of ancient and early medieval Christianity (churches, catacombs, museums).

BIBLIOGRAPHY
For attending students (even in case of distance learning):

Sources provided by the teacher and handouts. The handouts include parts authored by the teacher, by Dr. Federica Candido and by Dr. Giandomenico Ferrazza as well as articles and various contributions covering all the topics of the course.

For non-attending students:
Non-attending students can choose, alternatively, one of the three book proposals listed below, designated by letters a) and b). Since the books or book chapters are combined in such a way as to complement each other, the so-called "proposals" should not be disjointed but kept as two separate blocks:

Proposal a)
1)R.Penna, (ed.), Le origini del cristianesimo. Una guida, Carocci, Roma 2018: capitoli 1 (P.Sacchi) e 3 (G.Ibba)
2)E. Prinzivalli (ed.), Storia del cristianesimo I. L'Età antica, Carocci, Roma 2015: capitoli 1 -14
3)O.Brandt-F.Bisconti (eds.), Lezioni di archeologia cristiana, Roma, PIAC, 2014: contributi di F.Bisconti, e Ph.Pergola.

Proposal b)
1) G.Filoramo, Storia della Chiesa 1. L’età antica. EDB, Bologna 2019.
2) R.Rusconi, Storia del cristianesimo e delle Chiese. Dalle origini ai giorni nostri. Morcelliana, Brescia 2019, capp. 4 e 5.
3)O.Brandt-F.Bisconti (eds.), Lezioni di archeologia cristiana, Roma, PIAC, 2014: contributi di F.Bisconti, e Ph.Pergola.

Proposal c)

Ch. Freeman, A New History of Early Christianity, Yale University Press, New Haven-London 2009.

Teacher's email contact
carla.noce@uniroma3.it