Humanities (HUMN) 320

Overview

What were the greatest achievements of Roman civilization? How did its best poets and political philosophers respond to the fall of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire? What was early Christianity really like, and how did it evolve in the century after the crucifixion? What roles did St. Paul and the authors of the Synoptic Gospels play in creating modern Christian theology? These are some of the topics addressed in HUMN 320.

The course consists of two parts. The first part (Units 1 to 3) deals with the history and culture of Rome, and concentrates especially on the period of transition from the Republic to the Principate This was a time when Rome was trying to adjust to its conquests, to far-reaching social and economic changes and to the influx of new ideas, and was trying to restore its roots and to refurbish its myths and traditions. This was an age of great Roman writers, including Cicero, Lucretius, Livy, and Vergil, all of whom are studied in the course. It was also the time of the birth of Christianity, and the second part of the course (Units 4 and 5) focuses on the origins and early development of Christianity under the Principate and the early Empire.

Special attention is paid to the historical evidence for the life of Jesus of Nazareth and the beginnings of the Church, to the seminal theology and influence of Paul of Tarsus, and to the controversial issues involved in dating and interpreting the three Synoptic Gospels. Although the course employs a historical perspective, its overall approach is interdisciplinary, drawing upon the insights of classical scholars, literary critics, theologians, and historians of the ancient world.

Outline

Unit 1: The Romans and the Roman Republic

Unit 2: Cicero, Lucretius, and Roman Religion

Unit 3: The Early Empire and Roman Literature

Unit 4: The Beginnings of Christianity

Unit 5: The Synoptic Gospels

Evaluation

To receive credit for HUMN 320, you must achieve a course composite grade of at least “D” (50 percent) and a grade of at least 50 percent on the final examination. The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.

Course Materials

Textbooks

Other Materials

The course materials include study guides, and a student manual.

Challenge for Credit Course Overview

The Challenge for Credit process allows students to demonstrate that they have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university level course.

Full information for the Challenge for Credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.

• Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Policy
• Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Procedures

Challenge Evaluation

To receive credit for the HUMN 320 challenge registration, you must complete the two parts of the challenge exam and achieve a minimum grade of at least “D” (50 percent) on both parts. The two parts of the exam must be written on the same day, or on two consecutive days.

Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Course Registration Form

• Challenge for Credit Form