COURSES REQUIRED FOR CERTIFICATION OF THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH (10 CREDITS)

Description

This Certificate requires the following courses to be completed (10 credits)

History of the Early church through the Reformation (4 credits) Beginning in the book of Acts you will see how the church evolved and survived against false heresies, torture, and man’s ideas versus the established doctrines the early church fathers adopted and are still in existence today. This is an excellent course all Christians should take to learn how the church evolved

The First Judean War (3 credits) This first of two revolts during the Roman occupation that caused a heavy toll on the lives and religious practices of the Jewish People. Jesus warned of this coming desolation in His Mt of Olives Discourse how Jerusalem would be destroyed, the temple burned, and later ushering in the “Times of The Gentiles” who would occupy Jerusalem and Israel for many centuries to come. This course will cover much detail of the war by the chief writer of the day, Josephus who was both a Roman and previously a Jew that witnessed the fall of Jerusalem in 70AD.

Eusebius and the Martyrs in the First Century (3 credits) This course will describe in great detail the arrests, torture and death of many of the first century Christians who through no fault of their own were subjected to inhuman suffering and death for their belief in Jesus as the Son of God. Eusebius writer of the earliest accounts of the church will guide you thru this time of suffering. Several emperors of this period made the arrest and death of all Christians their perfect excuse to control the empire in their own beliefs and rid the world of the fear of a new religion increasing. The most well- known emperor Nero blamed the Christians for the burning of Rome. However, it was Nero who both started the fire and presumably played the violin while it was burning believing in a greater city of Rome would be established for his glory alone. I challenge you will be truly shocked at the brutal torture your fellow Christians bore for the name of Christ and be grateful you will probably never experience this in your lifetime.