Western Civilization I                                                                        Dr. Richard Baldwin

This assignment (typed, double-spaced, 12 pt font, and due at the beginning of the next class period) will be extra credit added to your exam grade on Rome and is worth 10  points.  Go to this Web site http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/first/diversity.html,

read it, and answer the following questions:

 

  1. Harold W. Attridge, “Book of Acts Account Too Simple”: What does the Book of Acts present as the early history of Christianity, and how and why does that differ from probable reality?
  2. Holland E. Hendrix, “Early ‘Christianities’ of the 2nd and 3rd Centuries”:  What were some of the differences in views about Christ?
  3. Helmut Koester, “Diversity in Early Christian Communities”:  Did early Christians believe the same things?  Why or why not?
  4. L. Michael White, “Regional Diversity”:  Given the regional diversity of Christianity of the 2nd and 3rd centuries, is the situation any different today (regarding the diversity of “Christianities”)?
  5. Wayne A. Meeks, “Internal Schisms and The Drive for Unity”:  Describe the “turf wars” that occurred among the early Christians.