Early Christianity at CUA

 

 

 

The Center for the Study of Early Christianity

Catholic University of America

 

“Reason, Faith, Service”

 

 

 

A Brief History

 

The Catholic University of America has, since its foundation, maintained a unique commitment to the study of the early Christian era.  A strong tradition, now central to the university’s mission, was set in train by Monsignor Henri Hyvernat, distinguished Copticist and Professor in Semitics at CUA for some fifty years, until his death in 1941.  Other forebears of significance include the patristic scholar Johannes Quasten (Professor of Theology 1938-1979), the classicist and patristic specialist Roy Deferrari (Professor of Greek and Latin 1918-1960), and Thomas Halton, again a classicist and patristic specialist (1960-2000, now Professor Emeritus).  Research in the field is now conducted in the Schools of Theology and Religious Studies, of Philosophy, and of Arts and Sciences (Departments of Greek and Latin, History, and Semitic Languages and Literatures).

 

 

The Goals of the Center

 

1. To foster collaboration in the study of early Christianity, among both faculty and graduate students, across several sectors of the University - especially by the mounting of seminars, public lectures by distinguished visitors, focussed study days, and (occasionally) conferences.

2. To administer the interdisciplinary graduate program "Early Christian Studies" according to the goals and principles specified on the program's separate website.

3. To offer financial support to faculty and graduate students who wish to attend conferences at which they deliver papers.

4. To publish a series of volumes ("CUA Studies in Early Christianity") that present collections of edited papers focussed on specific themes.

5. To offer (intermittently) Research Fellowships or equivalent positions that support short periods of research.

 

 

Some Notable Resources

 

The Institute of Christian Oriental Research, founded by Henri Hyvernat and housed within the John K. Mullen of Denver Library, is a world-renowned depository for rare books and manuscripts pertaining to the study of Hebrew, Syriac, Coptic, Armenian, Georgian, and Arabic, together with their Near Eastern literary traditions and historical contexts.  Courses and graduate instruction in all those languages are regularly offered in the Department of Semitic and Egyptian Languages and Literatures.

 

The Rare Book and Special Collections of the University's John K. Mullen of Denver Library include several thousand works of interest to early Christian scholars, especially in the areas of history, Patristics and textual criticism, dating back to the late fifteenth century.

 

 

Graduate Studies

 

Graduate studies in the early Christian field are pursued in several sectors of the University; but the Center presides over its own doctoral program, "Early Christian Studies."  Information about funding packages and our current curriculum is posted on the program website, which can be reached by clicking on "Early Christian Studies" in the left-hand menu.

 

 

Center for the Study of Early Christianity

300 McMahon Hall

Catholic University of America

Washington, DC 20064

Phone: 202 319 5795

Fax: 202 319 6609

E-mail: cua-cest@cua.edu