On September 19, 2024 we begin the Fall Semester of Redeemer Theological Academy. Our class will be a study of the “History of the Early Church” (Apostolic Age through AD 451). Below are all the details:
Class Description:
This weekly in-person class will meet on Thursday mornings in Calvin Hall, Room 206 (9:30-11:30 AM) at Redeemer Presbyterian Church. Each week Pastor Serven will give lectures on the key people, events, and issues of this important period in the development and growth of the New Testament Church. In particular, we will focus on the lives of the Christian martyrs, the major doctrinal controversies, and the way in which the Lord protected and preserved his Church through many crushing difficulties. In addition to lectures from Pastor Serven we will read and discuss portions of The Apostolic Fathers (which include The Didache & writings by Clement, Ignatius, and Polycarp). Near the end of the semester we will read The Confessions by Saint Augustine.
Required Textbooks:
— The Apostolic Fathers in English. Michael W. Holmes, ed. Third Edition. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2006.
— Augustine, Aurelius. Confessions. Sarah Ruden, trans. New York, NY: The Modern Library, 2018.
Schedule:
Class begins on Thursday, September 19, 2024 (9:30-11:30 AM). A list of reading assignments will be given out on the first day of class.
Class Instructor:
Rev. Dr. Marcus J. Serven is a longtime teacher of the Bible, Reformed theology, and the history of Christ’s Church. After a lengthy pastoral career of serving Presbyterian churches in both California and Missouri (1980-2016), Marcus and his family relocated to Austin, Texas in order to retire—but God had other plans! He now serves as the Pastor of Christian Discipleship here at Redeemer Presbyterian Church and is a member of the Presbytery of South Texas (PCA). Marcus has earned degrees from the University of California at Davis (BA), Fuller Theological Seminary (MDiv), and Covenant Theological Seminary (ThM and DMin). He is an active member of the Evangelical Theological Society.
If you are interested, please contact Pastor Marcus Serven at: mserven@redeemerpres.org