This course provides an introduction to and an overview of church history. If we are to see a humbler Church and a bigger God, we need to deal with the history of the Church to understand where we are now, and why.

The course starts on Monday 24 January and runs twice a month at 7.45 pm on Mondays until 25 July (see below for dates and topics).

Ruth Gouldbourne has been a Baptist minister for more than 30 years, ministering in churches in Bedford, London and Cheadle Hulme, as well as being a tutor at Bristol Baptist College. An Associate Fellow of Spurgeon's College, she is also Senior Research Fellow of IBTSC Amsterdam, and a Research Fellow of Bristol Baptist College.

• Week 1 - Introduction; why church history? Jan 24
• Week 2 - The Fathers – who they? Feb 7
• Week 3 - Creeds, Councils and Controversies Feb 28
• Week 4 - Augustine towers over us all March 14
• Week 5 - Christendom; love it or hate it, you need to deal with it March 28
• Week 6 - A thousand years when nothing happened April 11
• Week 7 - Middle ages; Light April 25
• Week 8 - Middle Ages; Dark May 9
• Week 9 - Middle Ages; Shadow May 23
• Week 10 - Reform of all shapes and sizes June 6
• Week 11 - Reason and romanticism June 27
• Week 12 - Expansion and disintegration July 11
• Week 13 - Reconfiguration – and nothing new under the sun. July 25