CS201 Western Civilization: Greeks to Aquinas
Overview
Survey over 1,200 years of western civilization with Dr. Bryan Litfin—theologian, historian, and acclaimed author. Hear about the trials and triumphs of the church throughout the most pivotal stages of western civilization, from the spread of Hellenism, to the fall of Rome and the rise of Europe. Find out how the church established the canon of scripture and developed the early creeds. Gain insight into why the church met in councils and how they defined doctrines like the nature of Jesus Christ and the Trinity. Discover how Christianity influenced western culture, as well as how western culture influenced Christianity—in politics, art and architecture, and education. Finally, learn about the role of the papacy in religious reform and how the crusades related to the emergence of Islam. Dr. Litfin combines his research in the early church, cultural studies, and historical doctrine into this unique eight-hour course, designed for Mobile Ed.
Top Highlights
“What we know of Socrates we know only through Plato. Plato, then, is his student. Plato is especially important in the context of the ancient church and in particular the idea of Plato that there should be a distinction between the perfect world above and the inferior, the world down below, the world down here.” (source)
“So Ignatius wanted to establish what he understood to be original, true Christianity, and his idea, then, is that the bishop—the role that he occupied—is the only person to be understood as sharing in the thought of Christ.” (source)
“First of all, you have the ancient period. Now, that would be, in terms of church history, the time from Christ’s resurrection—let’s say around ad 33—until roughly ad 500, the year ad 500. That would be the ancient period. Then we have the medieval period, the Middle Ages. We can think of the Early, the High, and the Late Middle Ages. And that would be from the years 500 to, let’s say, ad 1500. After that comes the Reformation—ad 1500 to 1700.” (source)
“Alexander’s father, Philip, changed that. In 338 bc he unifies the Greeks into a league that is created basically to fight against the Persians.” (source)
“And so, in the 200s bc, and even after that, the Romans are beginning to move out to conquer not just the Italian peninsula but actually in every direction and, in one of those directions, the Greeks. And so, in 64 bc, for example, the Roman general Pompey conquers Jerusalem, enters the holy of holies, kind of finds it rather bare and empty, but establishes control.” (source)
- Title: CS201 Western Civilization: Greeks to Aquinas
- Author: Bryan Litfin
- Series: Logos Mobile Education
- Publisher: Lexham Press
- Print Publication Date: 2014
- Logos Release Date: 2014
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Courseware
- Subjects: Church history; Church history › Early church; Church history › Middle Ages; Education › Church history; Education › Church history--Early church; Education › Church history--Middle Ages
- Resource ID: LLS:CS201LITFIN
- Resource Type: Courseware Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-02-12T07:55:42Z
Dr. Bryan Litfin, professor of theology at Moody Bible Institute in downtown Chicago, teaches courses in theology, church history, and Western civilization from ancient and medieval periods.
He is the author of Getting to Know the Church Fathers: An Evangelical Introduction (Brazos, 2007), as well as several scholarly articles and essays. Dr. Litfin earned his bachelor’s degree in print journalism from the University of Tennessee, as well as a master’s degree in historical theology at Dallas Theological Seminary.
He has always enjoyed epic adventure stories as well as historical fiction, but most of his reading is taken up by academia.