Christianity is the greatest movement in world history. But it’s not just an idea—it’s the real story of real Christians in other times and places. Exploring the history of the church both acquaints us with their experiences and enlarges the perspective of our own.

The courses in this track will introduce you to the riches of Christian history. You’ll learn how the church developed and spread. You’ll learn about the key people, events, places, and movements. You’ll also discover connections between the church’s history and the cultural, political, and intellectual movements from the broader world history. In addition to its triumphs, you’ll also explore the church’s struggles and mistakes.

You will learn:

• The main threads and issues running through each century of Christian history
• Explanations of key historical developments
• The key people, ideas, and events that have shaped Christian history
• An understanding of the turning points in history, such as the Roman emperor Constantine’s conversion to Christianity, the Great Schism between churches of the East and West, and the Crusades
• The relationship between church history and broader world history
• The roots and development of American religion, along with insight into the relationships between race, immigration, denomination, and culture and how they have impacted American religion
• The history of racism in the American church with attention to how people of the faith have both worked for and against racial justice

Key Benefits

• Get immediate access to all 5 seminary-level online courses in the track
• Access 30+ hours of video lectures from Stephen Backhouse, Everett Ferguson, Frank A. James III, John D. Woodbridge, Thomas S. Kidd, and Jemar Tisby
• Work through the courses at your own pace—take up to 36 months
• Earn a Certificate of Completion
• No prior coursework or prerequisites are required

This Track Includes the Following Courses

• Taught by Stephen Backhouse
• 20 units
• 5 hours of video lectures

• Taught by Everett Ferguson
• 15 units
• 6 hours of video lectures

• Taught by Frank A. James III and John D. Woodbridge
• 15 units
• 9 hours of video lectures

• Taught by Thomas S. Kidd
• 16 units
• 6 hours of video lectures

• Taught by Jemar Tisby
• 12 units
• 4 hours of video lectures

Designed to Help You Succeed

• Work at your own pace.
  Take as much time as you need to work through each course and each lesson—up to 36 months. We’ll walk you through every lesson, step-by-step, to make sure you understand each concept before you move on. Pause and rewind video lectures, work through the review sessions as many times as you’d like, and study at the times of day that work best for you. With this program, you’ll get the flexibility to learn in a way that’s best for you.
• Learn from seasoned teachers and scholars.
  Your instructors have taught the material for decades both in traditional classroom settings and online. Everything has been expertly designed and time-tested.
• Get access to tools proven to help you learn.
  Take advantage of the most sophisticated adaptive learning technology that will help you retain and remember what you learn.
• Get digital access to all course materials—anytime, anywhere.
  Get access to 30+ hours of video materials, plus all textbook readings, exercises, quizzes, and more.

How to earn the Certificate

1. Achieve an 80% or higher grade in each of the eight required courses.
2. Complete all coursework within 36 months of enrolling.
3. Notify us of completion.

When we have confirmed you have satisfied the program requirements, we will issue a Certificate of Completion.