Course Reflection - History of Christianity I

As a student enrolled at RTS-DC and working full-time I have a very busy schedule. The virtual campus allows me to supplement my course work and work towards graduation at a faster and more flexible pace than only taking DC classes allows. I am on the Masters of Divinity track and would like to be able to complete my studies and schedule my courses without having to take vacation time every summer for class when I can sign up for virtual classes.

History has never quite been something I was drawn to. I like the idea of it and I liked knowing when significant events occurred, but would never consider myself a history buff. What I learned from this class however, was a greater appreciation for God’s work throughout the history of the Church. From the brutal persecutions of the early church to the intellectual exercises of scholastics in the 11th and 12th centuries it is clear that God was and is at work. I especially appreciated learning about the councils that affected our understanding of doctrinal truth today, and how the collective body came together to work through these very difficult decisions. It became clear that, even though there were people who were deemed heretics and were on the wrong side of orthodoxy that they weren’t all malicious I their desire to spread their misunderstandings. It should give the church pause today, when dealing with misunderstandings of truth and hearts of compassion to share the wisdom of church fathers who have dealt with these topics in the past. This course has equipped me to better understand where and how the church was formed, and to trust in preserving work of God to hold his bride accountable to an unwavering truth throughout history of the past, present and future.