Unit ANCIENT CHRISTIAN LITERATURE
- Course
- Humanities
- Study-unit Code
- GP005967
- Curriculum
- Classico
- Teacher
- Matteo Monfrinotti
- Teachers
-
- Matteo Monfrinotti
- Hours
- 36 ore - Matteo Monfrinotti
- CFU
- 6
- Course Regulation
- Coorte 2024
- Offered
- 2026/27
- Learning activities
- Caratterizzante
- Area
- Filologia, linguistica e letteratura
- Sector
- L-FIL-LET/06
- Type of study-unit
- Opzionale (Optional)
- Type of learning activities
- Attività formativa monodisciplinare
- Language of instruction
- Italian
- Contents
- Following a historical and methodological introduction to the discipline, the course examines the authors and texts that, between the second and the eighth/ninth centuries, made a decisive contribution to the development of Christian doctrine and ecclesial self-understanding. The lectures, primarily historical-theological in approach, will provide an appropriate contextualization of the main figures and their settings (regions, schools, and controversies) and will be complemented by the reading and commentary of selected texts.
Particular attention will be devoted to the use and interpretation of Scripture in early Christian literature, especially in exegetical writings, where the processes of constructing the traditio fidei and the argumentative forms of theology can be discerned. The sequence of topics also follows the syllabus prescribed for the final examination.
I. Foundational Section
Course Outline
Introduction
Sub-Apostolic Literature
The Letter of Clement of Rome
The Shepherd of Hermas
Ignatius of Antioch
Polycarp
Papias of Hierapolis
The Epistle of Barnabas
The Didache
Apologetic Literature
Justin Martyr
Tatian
Athenagoras
Theophilus of Antioch
The Epistle to Diognetus
Martyr Literature
Gnosticism and Marcionism
Irenaeus of Lyons
The Alexandrian School
Pantaenus
Clement of Alexandria
Origen
Alexandrian Culture and Literature after Origen
Dionysius of Alexandria and the Question of the Two Dionysii
Theognostus
Gregory Thaumaturgus and the Address of Thanksgiving
The Beginning of the Conflict over Origen’s Legacy: Pamphilus of Caesarea and Methodius of Olympus
The Beginnings of Christian Literature in Latin
Minucius Felix
Tertullian
Cyprian
The Arian and Nestorian Controversies
Arius
Athanasius
Nestorius
Theophilus and Cyril
The Cappadocian Fathers
Basil
Gregory of Nazianzus
Gregory of Nyssa
Antiochene Literature
Cyril of Jerusalem
Apollinaris of Laodicea
The School of Antioch
Diodore of Tarsus
Theodore of Mopsuestia
John Chrysostom
Nestorius
Theodoret of Cyrrhus
Monasticism
General Characteristics of Christian Monasticism
Anthony and Pachomius
Macarius
Evagrius Ponticus
Palladius of Helenopolis
Christian Historiography
Lactantius
Eusebius of Caesarea
Philostorgius
Socrates Scholasticus
Sozomen
Rufinus
Jerome
Hilary of Poitiers
Ambrose
Augustine