Lectures on Ancient Christianity

In this lecture, we delve into the stories of some of the earliest Christian martyrs, from apostles to bishops to women. We consider not only why they gave their lives but also the ways their deaths had an impact on the church and world.

The lecture introduces you to famous Christian women of the first few centuries. We'll meet virgins, widows, wives, ascetics, martyrs, and more. We'll discuss their roles, their power, and their legacy.

This lecture provides an overview of the earliest monastic movements. We consider where they began, how they were created, and what rules they followed. We'll address how these monastic movements transformed the world both in and outside the monastery.

This lecture looks at some ancient Christian teachings on marriage, including the many teachings against marriage. We'll explore how marriages became tied to the church and consider how people's theology affected their views on marriage.

This lecture introduces you to some of the most influential men in the ancient church.: Gregory of Nazianzus, Gregory of Nyssa, and Basil of Caesarea. We'll discuss who they were and how they were friends/family, learn about their theology, and discover what made each of them unique and so influential.

Using toys, texts, and art, this lecture looks at the role of children in ancient Christianity. We discuss what life was like for ancient children in all aspects of their lives, including church. (This lecture can also include information about Jesus' childhood.)

This lecture investigates how Christianity's earliest opponents viewed the movement. We examine common accusations (such as atheism) their opponents leveled against Jesus' followers. We see how Christian apologists refuted these accusations and how they portrayed themselves in terms their opponents could understand.

This lecture provides a short overview of the role of incense in the ancient church. Using art history, we explore incense's relationship with persecution and its eventual symbolic roles related to Christ and Mary.

Because ancient Christianity is my main field of study, there's a good chance I can lecture on a topic from the early church that will fit your interests and needs (if it's not listed here already). If you have a specific group, event, or topic in mind, contact me to discover how we might work together to create a lecture tailored to your needs.

In this lecture, we'll meet the desert fathers and mothers whose spiritual quests in the desert played a significant role in shaping Christian beliefs and practice. We'll look at what they did, what they said, and why they're so important.

Who was Thecla? Why was her story so important for ancient Christians? This lecture introduces you to one of ancient Christianity's most famous and controversial women.

Asceticism, or discipline, played a huge role in early Christian faith and practice. This lecture explores how people practiced asceticism and why it was so important to them, including its biblical foundations.

This lecture looks at the exalted position of virgins and virginity in ancient Christianity. While introducing you to some famous ancient virgins, we also  consider the biblical foundations, the symbolic import, and the practical questions related to virgins and virginity.

This lecture introduces you to the Cappadocian women: wives, daughters, virgins, and mothers who played important roles in ancient Christianity. Not only did they influence their famous male relatives, but they also served as role models and heroes of the faith. We'll learn who they were, what they did, and why they're so important.

This lecture introduces some famous wealthy widows from the ancient church. We look at the power the women possessed and consider why and how they yielded that power. We also consider how wealth (or lack thereof) affected women's choices in widowhood.

This lecture gives an overview of the seven deadly vices as developed by the ancient Christians. We define each vice and consider why it is so "deadly," even as we ask where we see it in our lives today.

Influential Christian Texts lectures examine an important text for ancient Christians. Each lecture provides a summary of the text with sample passages and addresses the basics of each text (who, what, when, where,. why). The lecture also explains the text's significance for ancient Christians and posits whether we, too, might find much to learn from these texts of Christian history. See more on the "Canon and Texts" page.