The Historical Theology Department introduces students to the history of God’s people from the early church to the present. Church History is considered in four periods, Ancient, Medieval, Reformation, and Modern, paying particular attention to the development of doctrine.

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HT10 – Presbyterian Church History (2 Credit Hours)

Prerequisites: ST11, AP11
Lecturer: Dr Ian Hamilton
Description: A detailed study of Presbyterianism as it was rediscovered and applied in Scotland. The course also looks at the development of Presbyterianism in America.

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HT21 – Ancient Church History (3 Credit Hours)

Prerequisite: ST11, AP11, AP14
Lecturer: Dr Ian Hamilton
Description: A study of the early church from Pentecost through the age of Augustine and Gregory I, with emphasis on the development of doctrine, worship, the growth of the church, and the emergence of the Papacy.

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HT22 – Medieval Church History (3 Credit Hours)

Prerequisite: HT21
Lecturer: Dr Ian Hamilton
Description: A study of the doctrinal and organizational development of the church in the Middle Ages, including the rise of the sacramental system and the sacerdotal clergy with due emphasis upon the influence of the church on European society and the effect of European society on the church.

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HT31 – Reformation Church History (4 Credit Hours)

Prerequisite: HT22
Lecturer: Dr Ian Hamilton
Description: A study of the rise of the Renaissance and its relationship to the Reformation and the work of the Reformers Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, Knox, Bucer, and their colleagues. Included is an in-depth look at the Roman Catholic Counter-Reformation and the work of the Council of Trent.

 

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HT32 – Modern Church History (3 Credit Hours)

Prerequisite: HT31
Lecturer: Dr Ian Hamilton
Description: A study of the development of modern Protestantism and Roman Catholicism after the Reformation, with emphasis on later doctrinal developments in these movements, the great revivals of the Post-Reformation era, the rise of modern theological liberalism, Neo-Orthodoxy, and recent trends in modern theology.

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HT54 – Scottish Reformed Orthodoxy & Its Heritage (2 Credit Hours)

No Prerequisites
Lecturer: Dr Ian Hamilton or Dr Donald John MacLean
Description: Traces the development of Reformed theology from the Scottish Reformation through the 20th century in Scotland. Major areas of consideration include the rise and development of covenantal thought, major doctrinal controversies, the relations of church and state, and natural law in regard to theology and civil affairs. Personalities such as John Knox, Andrew Melville, Robert Rollock, Samuel Rutherford, Thomas Boston, Thomas Chalmers, William Cunningham, James Orr, and Thomas Torrance find their place in the development of Scottish Reformed Orthodoxy. Course requirements include readings from primary source documents throughout the period.

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HT60 – Ecclesiastical Latin I (2 Credit Hours)

No Prerequisites
Lecturer: Mr Lucas Baumbach (GPTS)
Description: The first in a three-course cycle in Ecclesiastical Latin, focusing on preparing students to read/translate Latin theological texts significant to the development of Christian theology.

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HT61 – Ecclesiastical Latin II (2 Credit Hours)

Prerequisites: HT60
Lecturer: Mr Lucas Baumbach (GPTS)
Description: The second in a three-course cycle in Ecclesiastical Latin, focusing on preparing students to read/translate Latin theological texts significant to the development of Christian theology.

 

 

HT66 – Ecclesiastical Latin III (2 Credit Hours)

Prerequisites: HT61
Lecturer: Mr Lucas Baumbach (GPTS)
Description: The third in a three-course cycle in Ecclesiastical Latin, focusing on preparing students to read/translate Latin theological texts significant to the development of Christian theology.