The Center for the Study of Early Christianity

Catholic University of America

 

“Reason, Faith, Service”

 

 

 

The Catholic University of America has, since its foundation in 1889, 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 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 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."  We shall resume admissions into this program in the Fall of 2008.  Information about funding packages and a revised curriculum will be posted in the coming months on the program website (we expect to complete this process by December 2007), 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