RLST 091 SC - Heretics, Deviants, and “Others” in Early Christianity

How did the concept of “correct” belief and behavior, as well as “heresy” and “deviance,” develop and exert authority out of the diversity in early Christianity? This course will examine the evidence for several debates and notorious dissenters. Topics include traditional and revisionist views of the nature of “orthodoxy” and “heresy,” social theory as a tool for interpreting ancient sources, the rhetorical “construction” of otherness, and the use of violence by ecclesiastical and civil authorities.

Offered: Every other year

Credit: 1

Course Number: RLST091 SC