Course Descriptions

Semester Course Schedule Long-Term Program Dates Short-Term Program Dates Entrance Requirements Course Descriptions

HIST 6/456 Jewish Roots of Christian Worship and Liturgy - Credit Hours: 3

Semester normally offered: Alternate Spring Semesters

Course Description

A study of the influence of Jewish liturgy on the development of Christian worship, liturgy, and hymnody in the early Church.

Course Equivalencies

  • History
  • Theology
  • Music

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, the student should be able to:

  • build an understanding of the musical tools and general soundscapes that were available during the Second Temple Period and Christian Byzantine worlds.
  • communicate which of these tools were likely used in the expression of their respective liturgies.
  • provide a general familiarity with liturgies connected to these eras.
  • trace the connections between the Byzantine liturgy and its Jewish inheritance.

Field Study

A one-day trip to an ancient synagogue and Byzantine church in the desert to perform the Passover ‘Seder’ and the Divine Liturgy. In both buildings, students will explore how the structural elements influenced parts of the liturgy.