Theology Classes

Historical Theology I

Dr. Nathan Busenitz of The Master's Seminary walks the story of the church and its battles for the truth, from the apostles onward.

About This Course

This course walks the story of the church through its first fifteen centuries, from the day of Pentecost to the eve of the Reformation: the age of the apostles, the persecuted church and its martyrs, the defense of the Trinity and the deity of Christ, the great councils, the rise of the medieval church, and the men who kept the truth alive in every generation.

Each lecture below is a full seminary class session, and each has its own page with the video, a study sheet that walks the lecture section by section, links to every Scripture passage discussed, key terms, a comprehension check, discussion questions, and a printable PDF.

Lectures by Dr. Nathan Busenitz, embedded from The Master's Seminary's public channel.

Enrollment is free and optional, and takes a minute: let the church know you are studying.

The Lectures

All 25 lectures are ready.

  1. 01Why Church History, and the Church’s First Two Years65 min
  2. 02The Acts of the Spirit: Gentiles, the Missionary Journeys, and the First Council69 min
  3. 03Nero’s Fire, the Deaths of Peter and Paul, and the Last Apostle74 min
  4. 04The Apostolic Fathers: Clement of Rome and Polycarp of Smyrna71 min
  5. 05Ignatius, Papias, the Didache, and the Gospel Beyond Rome66 min
  6. 06The History of Heresy: Ebionites, Gnostics, Marcion, and Montanus70 min
  7. 07The Lapsed, the Pure Church, and the Second Century Apologists68 min
  8. 08Tertullian, Irenaeus, Origen, and Cyprian65 min
  9. 09The Age in Review, and Luther’s Discovery of Grace64 min
  10. 10Faith Alone in the Fathers: The Gospel Before the Reformation61 min
  11. 11Constantine, Theodosius, and the Council of Nicaea69 min
  12. 12Easter, Athanasius Against the World, and the Cappadocian Fathers70 min
  13. 13Ambrose, Jerome, Chrysostom, and the Conversion of Augustine72 min
  14. 14How the Future Got Lost in History74 min
  15. 15The Seven Councils and the Battle for the Incarnation70 min
  16. 16The Fall of Rome and the Rise of Islam71 min
  17. 17Councils, Heretics, and Fathers: The Nicene Age in Review65 min
  18. 18How We Got the Bible: Christ and the Canon44 min
  19. 19Leo, Justinian, and Gregory: Three Greats of the Early Middle Ages68 min
  20. 20Icons, Forgeries, and Bad Popes: The Road to Corruption71 min
  21. 21The Great Schism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and the Idea of Holy War58 min
  22. 22The Crusades: From Jerusalem to the Sack of Constantinople54 min
  23. 23Scholasticism: Anselm, Abelard, and Thomas Aquinas56 min
  24. 24The Babylonian Captivity, the Papal Schism, and the Fall of Constantinople66 min
  25. 25The Medieval Age in Review, and the Voices Before Luther61 min
Begin

Start with Lecture 1

Why church history matters, and the church's first two years. About an hour with your Bible open.

Open Lecture 1 About Theology Classes