Early Christianity in the Middle East

In the first millennium, Christians writing in a dialect of Aramaic called Syriac thrived throughout the Middle East. Because Roman Catholic and Protestant churches later declared many of these Christians to be heretics, their stories have been excluded from the history of Christianity. This course challenges the assumption of Christianity as a "Western" religion and asks how our understanding of global Christianity changes when we include the history and perspective of middle eastern Christians. We will read in English translation sources such as accounts of trans-saints, a letter allegedly written by Jesus, the tale of a demon-possessed monastery, and the first Christian writings on Islam. Undergraduates wanting to enroll in this seminar need to have previously taken one of the following courses: "Exploring the New Testament," "What Didn't Make It in the Bible," or "Sex and the Early Church," or they must obtain permission from the instructor. Undergraduates register for 200-level for 5 units. Graduate students register for 300-level for 3-5 units.