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Field of Study Historical Studies Course Proposal L. Stephanie Cobb

Proposed Field of Study: Field of Study Historical Studies

Course Title: RELG 240 (NB, the department is in the process of changing this number from RELG 340 to RELG 240)

Course Title: “Lost Christianities”

Rationale for inclusion in FSHT:

“Historical studies examine events and actors of the recent or distant past within the context of the ideas, institutions, social norms, cultural practices, and physical environments out of which they arose. Courses with a historical perspective enable us to understand the values and institutions of disparate societies and cultures as they have developed over time.

By emphasizing the critical analysis of sources and the interrelationships among ideas, institutions, social structures, and events within one or more interpretive frameworks, these courses foster students' awareness of the methods and perspectives for understanding past societies and cultures in historical context. Courses that focus narrowly on the history of a discipline, that only use chronology as an organizational structure, or that do not stress the context in which ideas and events occurred fall outside the category of historical studies.”

RELG 240 meets the requirements for inclusion in the Field of Study Historical Studies because it seeks to understand the rise and eventual demise of a variety of forms of early in light of their social, cultural, and geographical locations. In order to understand Ebionite Christianity, for instance, one must understand first- century . But the course requires students to understand that these groups were locally different: in North Africa was a very different form of Christianity than Montanism in Rome or Montanism in Asia Minor. Thus the course allows students to examine political, religious, cultural, and social forces that may have influenced local variations of so-called “.” “Lost Christianities” is not, however, simply a cafeteria-style course in heresies. The larger narrative of the course challenges students to think about the methods and perspectives that scholars employ to interpret the construction of orthodoxy (“right belief”) and the developments of institutions—both political and religious—that contributed to the rise of one form of Christianity over another. Cobb (2)

Catalog Description: The origins and interactions of major varieties of Christianity that flourished in the first three centuries C.E.. Consideration of Pauline, Johannine, and Marcionite strands; Jewish Christianity; ; Montanism; etc.

Course Prerequisite(s): None

Number of Credit Hours: 1 unit

Typical Estimated Enrollment: 19

How Often and By Whom Offered: L. Stephanie Cobb; every other year

Staffing Implications for Religion Department: None

Adequacy of Library, Technology, and Other Resources: Adequate

Any Interdepartmental and Interschool Implications: None

Contact Person: Jane Geaney

How the course fulfills the purpose of the Field of Study History:

FSHT Learning Outcome One: Students will demonstrate historical thinking through the contextual analysis of primary sources that address the nature and limits of historical evidence and engages in larger historical questions about past events, ideas, institutions, social structures, cultural practices and physical environment.

The course requires students to read primary sources relating to issues of orthodoxy and in early Christianity (in English translation). It seeks to place these sources of information about early Christian groups and their beliefs into their historical contexts including, but not limited to: chronological emergence, geographical location, religious and/or philosophical influence (from, for example, Judaism or paganism). Of particular interest to this course is understanding how different geographical areas produced different “heresies.”

FSHT Learning Outcome Two: Students will analyze a range of historical interpretations and investigate the historical methods practiced by scholars within a specific course subject.

Cobb (3)

The course requires students to become conversant with the methods employed by different scholars—both ancient and modern—in their interpretations of the emergence of “orthodox” Christianity.

FSHT Learning Outcome Three Students will learn to identify and evaluate historical arguments of other scholars and formulate and advance their own, drawing upon appropriate primary sources and library resources and employing the proper citation of evidence.

Students will read scholarly works that are at odds with one another and will be required to assess these arguments. In addition, students will hone their research and citation skills by researching one early Christian heresy.

Sample Syllabus:

Lost Christianities RELG 240

Course Description: If you were to hear someone speaking of “varieties of Christianity,” you might think about the many differences in belief and practice among Catholics and Protestants. Perhaps you would think more specifically about the myriad types of : , Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Disciples of Christ, Episcopalians—to name just a few! Chances are, however, that diversity does not immediately come to mind when you think of Christian origins. Surely the varieties of Christianity that exist today stem from an “original” form of the religion—don’t they? In fact, this assumption is the result of what may be one of the most successful ad campaigns in . What better way to claim authority for one’s beliefs than to claim that they are the original, unadulterated, teachings of (or God)? What better way is there to affirm right practice (“orthopraxy”) than to show that one’s rituals were instituted by Jesus’ closest followers? This course examines many early Christian texts (along with a few pagan and Jewish texts) in an attempt to ascertain what early Christians believed. Some of the differences we will uncover may surprise you. For instance, some Christians denied that Jesus was divine; others denied that he was human. Some Christians were monotheistic, but others were ditheistic or even polytheistic. Some Christians did

Cobb (4) not believe that Jesus’ death was related to humanity’s salvation. Some even denied that Jesus died! In addition to surveying varieties of Christian beliefs, we will trace the rise of the form of Christianity that is considered “orthodox” today. Why did one of the many varieties of Christianity become dominant? Which one did? How did it become so powerful? Why were these other forms of Christianity lost?

Course Objectives: By the end of this course you should be able to: a) recognize a variety of forms of early Christianity in the context of the ideas, institutions, social norms, cultural practices, and physical environments out of which they arose; b) discuss the methods scholars use to interpret sources of “Lost Christianities”; c) sort through pagan and Christian sources to determine religious practice and belief; d) identify dominant forms of Christianity in various geographical areas of the ancient world; e) articulate the problems surrounding the terms “orthodoxy” and “heresy”; f) outline the rise of the Roman catholic ; g) discern the methods employed by “proto-orthodox” Christianity to establish dominance.

Course Books: (all required) Ehrman, Bart. The Lost of Judas Iscariot: A New Look at Betrayer and Betrayed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006 (ISBN: 978-0-19-534351-9) Ehrman, Bart. Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003 (ISBN: 978-0-19-518249-1) Ehrman, Bart. Lost Scriptures: Books that Did Not Make It into the . New York: Oxford University Press, 2003 (ISBN: 978-0-19-518250-7)

Course Schedule

Getting Started: Theoretical Issues

Lost Christianities?!? An Introduction to the Issue Lost Christianities, Introduction (pp 1-7); Lost Scriptures, Introduction (pp 1-5) In Class Exercise: Canon Lists (Lost Scriptures, 330-342—review these pages if time allows)

Two Diverging Models of “Orthodoxy” and “Heresy”: Part 1: The Classical Model

Cobb (5)

Classical Model: ; ; (excerpts available on Blackboard) Lost Christianities pp. 163-167

Two Diverging Models of “Orthodoxy” and “Heresy”: Part 2: Modern Scholarly Model Walter Bauer, Orthodoxy and Heresy, pp. xxi-xxv; 229-232 (Blackboard)

Ancient Texts, Authors, and Forgeries Lost Christianities pp. 9-11; 29-32; 39-46 Lost Scriptures pp. 113-121

The Secret Gospel of Mark Lost Christianities pp. 67-89 Lost Scriptures pp. 87-89

Varieties of Early Christianity

Jewish Christian Adoptionists

Jewish-Christian Adoptionists ( and Nazareans) Lost Christianities pp. 91-96; 99-103 The Gospel of the Nazareans 1-10 (Lost Scriptures pp. 9-11) The Gospel According to the Hebrews (Lost Scriptures pp. 15-16)

Jewish-Christians in the New Testament Gospel of Matthew 1:1-2:23; 5:17-48; 8:1-4; 23:1-36 Lost Christianities pp. 96-99 Galatians 2:1-29; 5:2-6 In Class Exercise: Anti-Adoptionistic Scribal Changes to Scripture

Proto-Orthodox Response to Jewish-Christians Epiphanius, Eusebius, Hippolytus, (excerpts on Blackboard) Letter of Barnabas ch. 4, 9-10, 13-14 (Lost Scriptures see relevant pp. between 219-235)

Docetism and Marcionite Christianity

Gospel of Peter and an Introduction to “Docetic” Christianity Lost Christianities pp. 13-24 Lost Scriptures pp. 31-34

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Serapion (Blackboard)

Marcionite Christianity Lost Christianities pp. 103-112 Heresiologists on Marcion (Blackboard)

Proto-Orthodox on 1 John Ignatius To the Smyrnaeans Ignatius To The Trallians ch. 9-11 Ignatius To the Magnesians ch 11 In Class Exercise: Anti-Docetic Scribal Changes to Scripture

Montanism, , and the Problem of Women

Montanus and his Prophetesses (And Their Enemies, the Proto-Orthodox Heresiologists) Lost Christianities pp. 148-151 Montanist (excerpts on Blackboard) Tertullian, Anonymous (excerpts on Blackboard)

Gnosticism and the

Gnosticism and the Nag Hammadi Library: A General Introduction Lost Christianities pp. 47-55; 113-126

The Coptic Lost Christianities pp. 55-65 Lost Scriptures pp. 19-30

Reading Around in Lost Christianities pp. 127-134 The Gospel of Mary: Lost Scriptures pp. 35-37 The : Lost Scriptures pp. 45-51 ’s Letter to Flora: Lost Scriptures pp. 201-206 Treatise on the Resurrection: Lost Scriptures pp. 207-210

Proto-Orthodoxy and Gnosticism Irenaeus, Tertullian, Clement (Blackboard) 1:1-1:18 In Class Exercise: Anti-Gnostic Scribal Changes to Scripture

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Christology Meets Real Life: Martyrdom as a Test Case Elaine Pagels, “The Passion of Christ and the Persecution of Christians” in The Gnostic (Blackboard) Frederick Klawiter, “The Role of Martyrdom and Persecution in Developing the Priestly Authority of Women in Early Christianity: A Case Study of Montanism,” Church History 49/3 (1980): 251-261 (JSTOR) William Tabbernee, “Early Montanism and Voluntary Martyrdom,” Colloquium 17 (1985): 35-44.

Gnosticism, the Nag Hammadi Library, and Dan Brown The : Lost Scriptures pp. 38-44 (excerpt on Blackboard) Bart D. Ehrman, Peter, Paul, and Mary Magdalene, pp. 214-216 (Blackboard)

The Newest Lost Gospel: The

A Brief History of The Gospel of Judas and Its Discovery The Lost Gospel of Judas pp. 1-11; 53-65; 67-83 http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lostgospel/

The Text Itself—A New Gnostic Gospel? The Gospel of Judas (Blackboard) The Lost Gospel of Judas pp. 85-120; 171-174 Final Thoughts

The Other Side of the Coin: “Heretics” Against Proto-Orthodox Lost Christianities pp. 181-188 Other Reading TBA

From Heresy to Orthodoxy: Apostolic Succession (Clergy); Creed; Canon (& the occasional slur) Lost Christianities pp. 192-202; 229-257