Rediscover the Early Eastern Church

When many people hear the words “Early Church,” they immediately think of Rome, Latin Christianity, or the later history of Europe. Yet the Church did not begin in the West. The Church was born in the East. The first Christian proclamation was heard in Jerusalem. The apostles were Jews from the land of Israel who lived within an Aramaic- and Greek-speaking world. They prayed in the Temple, read the Scriptures of Israel, and proclaimed that Jesus was the promised Messiah who had risen from the dead. From Jerusalem, the Gospel travelled north to Antioch, where the disciples were first called Christians. It continued into Edessa and Nisibis, where Aramaic-speaking communities developed a rich Syriac Christian tradition. It also took root in Alexandria, Armenia, Georgia, and the Persian Empire. The Early Eastern Church: Jerusalem, Antioch, Edessa, Nisibis, Alexandria, Armenia, Georgia, Persia, Syriac Christianity, and the Eastern Fathers Together, we will explore: The Jerusalem Church and its Jewish foundations Antioch and the mission to the nations Edessa and the rise of Syriac Christianity Nisibis and the biblical poetry of Ephrem the Syrian Alexandria, Saint Mark, Origen, Athanasius, and Egyptian monasticism The Christianization of Armenia and Georgia Aphrahat and the Church within the Persian Empire The spiritual wisdom of the Eastern Fathers