Ancient Church History - KHIS025
Title: Církevní a obecné dějiny starověku
Guaranteed by: Department of Ecclesiastical History and Literary History (26-KCD)
Faculty: Catholic Theological Faculty
Actual: from 2020
Semester: winter
E-Credits: 3
Examination process: winter s.:
Hours per week, examination: winter s.:2/0, Ex [HT]
Capacity: unlimited / unknown (unknown)
Min. number of students: unlimited
4EU+: no
Virtual mobility / capacity: no
Key competences:  
State of the course: taught
Language: Czech
Teaching methods: full-time
Note: course can be enrolled in outside the study plan
enabled for web enrollment
priority enrollment if the course is part of the study plan
Guarantor: doc. David Vopřada, Dr.
Teacher(s): doc. David Vopřada, Dr.
Examination dates   WS schedule   Noticeboard   
Annotation -
This course presents the history of the Church in the Antiquity from the 1st till 6th century. The lectures are held in Czech, an individual study plan for international students will be discussed with the lecturer at the beginning of the course when the required reading will be indicated.
Last update: Vopřada David, doc., Dr. (20.06.2016)
Aim of the course -

1. Knowledge (Remember)

  • Students will be able to remember the main events and milestones of ancient Church history.
  • Students will be able to list key figures and historical personalities of early Christianity (e.g., Constantine, Arius, Athanasius, Augustine).
  • Students will be able to recall fundamental theological and political disputes in the early Church (e.g., Arianism, Donatism, Pelagianism).

2. Comprehension (Understand)

  • Students will be able to explain the historical context of the emergence and development of Christianity in relation to the Roman Empire.
  • Students will be able to describe the development of Church hierarchy and its structure from the apostolic period to the 6th century.
  • Students will be able to interpret the significance of ecumenical councils in theological and political contexts (e.g., the Council of Nicaea, the Council of Chalcedon).

3. Application (Apply)

  • Students will be able to apply historical methods to analyse primary and secondary sources on early Christianity.
  • Students will be able to use acquired knowledge to examine Church history in relation to modern theological debates.
  • Students will be able to explain historical contexts of the development of Christian doctrines and their impact on contemporary Church practice.

4. Analysis (Analyse)

  • Students will be able to distinguish different phases in the development of Christianity, from the period of persecution to the establishment of the state Church.
  • Students will be able to compare the influence of key theological and political figures on the formation of Church doctrine and practice.
  • Students will be able to analyse various historiographical approaches to early Church history, identifying their strengths and limitations.

5. Evaluation (Evaluate)

  • Students will be able to critically assess the consequences of ecumenical councils’ decisions on the development of theology and Church governance.
  • Students will be able to evaluate how individual events in ancient Church history influenced its subsequent development.
  • Students will be able to consider the relevance of ancient Church conflicts to contemporary ecumenical dialogues.

6. Creation (Create)

  • Students will be able to produce a short academic essay summarising the development of early Christianity in a specific period.
  • Students will be able to design a presentation or study material on Church history for a wider audience.
  • Students will be able to construct an argumentative analysis of primary sources related to significant theological disputes in the early Church.
Last update: Vopřada David, doc., Dr. (17.02.2025)
Requirements to the exam -
  • Activity in the course (20%),
  • Paper on a problem concerning Ancient Church History (40%),
  • Oral exam, questions based upon the syllabus and the required bibliography (40%).
Last update: Vopřada David, doc., Dr. (26.08.2020)
Syllabus -
  1. Hellenistic and Jewish Context of the 1st century
  2. The era of Julio-Claudian dynasty, Jesus, and Paul
  3. The era of Flavian dynasty and the second Christian generation
  4. 2nd century: formation and transformation of Christianity
  5. The Severan dynasty and the Church in the 3rd century
  6. Diocletian’s tetrarchy and the era of the martyrs
  7. Church organisation and liturgy of the Pre-Nicene period
  8. Constantine the Great and his Church politics
  9. Theological and political struggles in the East: 4th century (Nicaea I and Constantinople I)
  10. Theological and political struggles in the East: 5th century (Ephesus and Chalcedon)
  11. Theological and political struggles in the East: 6th to 8th centuries (Chalcedon to Nicaea II)
  12. Theodosius and Ambrose: Church and the Empire in the West in the 4th century
  13. The Church in Africa in the 4th to 5th centuries
  14. Church institutions and liturgy in the 4th to 5th centuries
  15. From Augustine to Gregory the Great
Last update: Vopřada David, doc., Dr. (23.10.2019)