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- Course name
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The Fathers of the Church
- Summary
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Saint John Henry Cardinal Newman, a convert from Anglicanism to Catholicism, famously said “To be steeped in history is to cease to be Protestant.” In our own time in history, we see many obstacles facing the Church. While there are many different approaches to encouraging people to stay strong in faith, knowing our history, and having solid examples of those who have faced such obstacles before and not only remained steadfast, but defended the Church steadfastly, is so important. In our “post-Christian” world we see old heresies resurfacing, and the need for the type of evangelization that was practiced early in our history. Who better to learn from than those who lived through such times? This course will teach students about the fascinating, and often tumultuous, lives of the Fathers of the Church, with the goal of nurturing the same zeal (and sense of adventure) in each of us.
In this course, we will look weekly at various Fathers of the Church, their lives, and the threats to the faith that they had to face in their day, with an eye to how the same threats present themselves in our day as well. We will first explore their culture, including the resemblance to our own, and then move chronologically through the generations of these leaders of the Church, gleaning lessons from the way they lived their faith in such uncertain times.
Instructor: Holly Vaughn
- Course name
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The Fathers of the Church
- Instructor
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Holly Vaughan
- Semester
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Spring 2025
- Category
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Theology ➤ Church History/Doctors of the Church
- Grade level
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High School
- Monitor
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Sharon Szafasz
- Start time
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January 9th, 2025 at 4:00 PM ET
- Course type
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Live
- Price
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$227
- Seats available
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25 seats available
- Seats remaining
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14 seats remaining
- Relative due dates
Those Who Have Ears to Hear – Hear This! Unlocking the Mysteries of the Parables of Jesus
To Humanity, Love Paul
That They May All Be One: Getting to Know St. Irenaeus, the Doctor of Unity
A Note to Restless Hearts – The Confessions of Saint Augustine
- This material is only to be used for its intended purpose by active subscribers of Homeschool Connections or purchasers of the course. Any other use without explicit permission is in violation of the seventh commandment, and in violation of US and International copyright laws.
- You may print or download to your own storage extracts for your personal homeschool and non-commercial use only. This is not to be used for homeschool co-ops without express written permission from Homeschool Connections.
- Upon completion of the course, you must delete all copies of course materials from any storage on which you saved permissible extracts.
Special notes
For a full year of Theology, register for The Catholic View of Salvation offered in the Fall semester.
Total classes
Class dates
Starting time
Duration
Prerequisites
None
Suggested grade level
Suggested credit
Outline
Class 1: The World of the Fathers
Class 2: The Apostolic Fathers – Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp, and Hermas
Class 3: The Ante-Nicene Fathers – Aristides, Justin Martyr, Melito of Sardis, Theophilus of Antioch
Class 4: The Ante-Nicene Fathers – Athenagoras of Athens, Irenaeus of Lyon, Tertullian
Class 5: The Ante-Nicene Fathers – Hippolytus, Cyprian, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Dionysius, Methodius, Lactantius
Class 6: The 4th Century: The Golden Age of Doctrine – Eusebius, Athanasius, Aphrahat the Sage, Ephrem, Basil, Greory of Nazianzus
Class 7: The 4th Century: The Golden Age of Doctrine – Gregory of Nyssa, Asterius of Amasea, Cyril of Jerusalem, Pacian, Ambrose
Class 8: The Later Fathers – Epiphanius, John Chrysostom, John Cassian, Theodore, Cyril of Alexandria, Jerome, Chromatius, Augustine
Class 9: The Later Fathers – Prudentius, Paulinus, Vincent of Lerins, Leo the Great, Peter Chrysologus
Class 10: The Later Fathers – Jacob of Serugh, Romanus the Singer, Benedict, Venantius, Gregory the Great
Class 11: The Later Fathers – Dionysius, Maximus the Confessor, Isidore of Seville, John of Damascus
Class 12: The Mothers – Perpetua, Syncletica, Egeria the Pilgrim
Materials
The Fathers of the Church (Third Edition) by Mike Aquilina (ISBN: 978-1-61278-561-5). Check bookfinder.com for used copies.
Homework
Homework will be about thirty minutes to an hour outside of class, and will include reading, as well as a mix of quizzes and writing assignments.
Fees
For all 12 classes: $207 if you register on or before November 15; $227 if you register after Nov. 15. (Registration closes one week before the first day of class. After that date, registrations are not guaranteed. There is a $20 surcharge for late enrollments after the course is closed.)
Holly Vaughan
About Holly Vaughan
Holly Vaughan comes to Homeschool Connections with an extensive background in parish catechetical work. She has experience in catechesis with all ages, particularly with middle school, high school, and adult faith formation.
She has not only taught, but been involved in curriculum creation for all of these ages, and is especially interested in creating classes that teach in the format developed by the Early Church Fathers, which roots everything we learn in Scripture.
While studying theology at the University of Dayton, she was accepted to the Master’s Program at Augustine Institute to study for her MA in Theology with a concentration in Sacred Scripture. She has a special love for helping high school and young adult students grow in their faith, and for the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults, both of which provide many opportunities to see people come alive as the teaching of our Catholic faith resonates with them in a new way.
Holly lives in rural Southern Illinois with her wonderful husband, who is a farmer, and their three sons, one who graduated from Homeschool Connections and one who is a current Homeschool Connections student.
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Sharon Szafasz
Sharon was born and raised in the Midwest. In 2017 Sharon and her family moved to sunny Arizona. She enjoys the warmer weather, mountains, and the beauty of the west. She enjoys visiting National parks, hiking, getting together with friends, and spending time with her family. She and her husband homeschooled their children. Sharon enjoys being a class monitor for Homeschool Connections. "Every day is a new experience and a chance to learn something new! I love our Catholic faith and feel so blessed to be able to begin each class with prayer, and with faith-filled teachers and students."
© 2024 Homeschool Connections; Holly Vaughan. All Rights Reserved.
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