Study Title: The Flight of the Radiant Woman
Author: 
Lesson Title: Introduction and Syllabus
Lesson No.: 1
Lesson Text: 
Memory Verse:    ""   -ESV
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Syllabus

I. Introduction to the study of Church History.

		The format of the class: "Interactive lecture"

		The church from a Scriptural perspective.

		The church from an historical perspective.



	A. Why study church history?

		• To understand and appreciate our heritage.

		• To appreciate the fight that has occurred to get us here.

		• To reveal Satan's tricks as he attacks the church.

			- So we will not make the same mistakes.

			- So we will know how to respond to heresy.

		• To strengthen our understanding of the mission and purpose of the church.

	B. What subjects will we cover?

		1. The flight of the "radiant woman", Rev. 12.

		2. The origins of the church: the "qahal" in the Old Testament.

		3. The transformation of the church, the "Messianic community" and the "ecclesia" in the New Testament.

			a. What we learn about the early church from the Gospels.

			- Luke 2

			- Matthew 9 & 11

			- The disciples after the crucifixion.

			- The road to Emmaus

			- The Great Commission

			b. What we learn about the early church from Acts.

			c. What we learn about the early church from the Epistles.

			d. What we learn about the early church from Revelations.

			- The seven churches of Revelation. Rev. 1-3.

			- The Four Apocalyptic Horsemen, Rev. 6:1-11.

		4. The early church fathers and martyrs.

		5. The christological heroes and heresies.

		-  Heroes: Athanasius, Augustine, etc.

		-  Heresies: Arianism, Monarchianism, Sabbellianism, Modalism, Pelagianism, etc.)

		6. The early church Councils, confessions, and the canonization of Scripture.

		7. The early history of the Catholic Church and the split between east and west.

		8. The growth of Papal apostasy.

		9. The crusades, Christendom and the rise of monasticism.

		10. The time of "awakening" leading to the Reformation.

		11. The Reformation and the persecution that followed.

			a. The Lutherans

			b. The Anabaptists

			c. The Calvinists

			d. The Dutch Reformers

			e.  The English and Scottish Reformers

		12. The "Enlightenment" and the growth of "Theological Liberalism".

		13. The "Great Awakening" and the church in the United States.

		14. The growth of the cults, (Mormonism and Jehovah's Witnesses).

		15. The growth of "Revivalism", Arminianism, and Pentecostalism in America.

		16. An assessment of the modern church in America.

		17. An assessment of the modern church in the world.

		18. A short history of the CRC: from Hyper-Calvinism to Neocalvinism (Kuyperianism).

		19. A short history of New Hope Community Church.



**All quotations are taken from the English Standard Version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.