Church History

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Byzantine Age: Fall of Rome

UNIT 8: THE BYZANTINE AGE

Objective: Students should be able to discuss the reasons for, importance of, and changes caused by the fall of Rome and the rise of Islam, the beliefs of Moslems today, the glory of the Byzantine Empire under Justinian, and the rise of the Holy Roman Empire in the West, and the role of Charlemagne in the changing of the creed.

 

WEEK 1: FALL OF ROME

Barbarian Invasions:

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Byzantine Age: Rise of Islam

WEEK 2: RISE OF ISLAM

 

Historical Background:

            Review the history of the Arabic peoples. Remember the Old Testament patriarch, Abraham. The children of his first son, Ishmael, became the peoples of Arabia. They were a nomadic people, living in a desert environment. They did not worship the One God of Abraham, but a variety of primitive gods – stars, stones, trees, etc. The Arabic tribes were divided; there was no central leadership.

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Byzantine Age: Charlemagne and the Holy Roman Empire

WEEK 3: CHARLEMAGNE AND THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE

While we are not embarking on a detailed study of the history of Western Europe, the events discussed today will have great influence on the chain of events leading to the Great Schism, one of the saddest days of the Church. How could this have happened, when Jesus prayed so eloquently that His Church be one.

 

Historical Background:

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Great Schism: Schism

UNIT 9: THE GREAT SCHISM

 

Objective: Students should be able to give dates and reasons behind each of these major historical events and their importance to history and the Church.

 

WEEK 1: THE GREAT SCHISM

 

Historical Background:

      Many of the political reasons for the Schism have been discussed previously; review them:

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Protestantism

UNIT 10: THE PROTESTANTS

 

Objective: Students should be able to list each of the major Protestant denominations, the historical and theological basis for each, the major founders of denominations, and the similarities and differences between their beliefs and the Orthodox position. What’s a cult?

 

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Slavic Churches: Baptism of Russia

UNIT 11: SLAVIC CHURCHES

 

Objective: Students should be able to identify Sts. Cyril and Methodius, St. Vladimir, St. Olga, St. Alexander Nevsky, St. Innocent, St. Herman of Alaska, St. Peter the Aleut, St. Tikhom, and understand their importance in Russian and American history, the development of the OCA and the Russian Orthodox Churches, and the present organization and leaders of the OCA.

 

WEEK 1: CYRIL AND METHODIUS/BAPTISM OF RUS

 

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Slavic Churches: Russian Church

WEEK 2: THE CHURCH IN RUSSIA

 

Each of these sections, divided by importance and presented chronologically, would make a good class presentation; as before, copy beforehand and cut apart, give each student 5 minutes to read his “piece” and present to the class in order, following on the maps the Russian and Mongolian places.

 

11th and 12th Centuries:

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