Course Description
A history of how the forms, definitions, and goals of
Christianity changed in late antique and medieval societies
across Europe and the Mediterranean. Examines how the religion
responded to and affected the way these societies understood
their government, their wealth, their responsibilities, the
cosmos, and themselves.
Athena Title
Medieval Christianity
Prerequisite
Any HIST course or ENGL 1101 or ENGL 1101E or ENGL 1101S or ENGL 1102 or ENGL 1102E or ENGL 1102S or POLS 1101 or POLS 1101E or POLS 1101H or POLS 1101S
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student Learning Outcomes
- By the end of this course, students will be able to arrive at conclusions about medieval Christian history by gathering and weighing evidence, logical argument, and listening to counter argument.
- By the end of this course, students will be able to write stylistically appropriate papers and essays. Students will be able to analyze ideas and evidence, organize their thoughts, and revise and edit their finished essays.
- By the end of this course, students will be able to identify how medieval Christian history has shaped social and cultural identities and attitudes, encouraging them to understand diverse worldviews and experiences.
- By the end of this course, students will be able to apply appropriate methodological approaches to their analysis of primary sources and to organize their evidence to show historical continuities and discontinuities.
Topical Outline
- Prosecution and Persecution: The Martyrs
- Philosophy and Violence
- "More onerous than honorable": The Professionals
- Wealth and Poverty
- "Micro-Christendoms"
- Contiguous Cultures: The Golden Age of Syriac, Iconoclasm
- Sin and the Hereafter
- God and the State
- Social Media: The Liturgy and Preaching
- The Papacy
- The Crusades
- Christianity on the Cutting Edge: Science and the Musical Avant Garde
- Public Outreach and Private Piety
- Inner and Outer Demons
- "The Stripping of the Altars": The End of Medieval Christianity
Institutional Competencies
Analytical Thinking
The ability to reason, interpret, analyze, and solve problems from a wide array of authentic contexts.
Communication
The ability to effectively develop, express, and exchange ideas in written, oral, interpersonal, or visual form.
Critical Thinking
The ability to pursue and comprehensively evaluate information before accepting or establishing a conclusion, decision, or action.
