Belmont University
HONORS 1220/1225
The
Middle Ages
Fall 2009
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Office phone: 615-460-5418 |
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Honors House, Second Floor |
Office hours: MF 10-10:45; TTh 1:00-1:45 |
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and
by appointment; none on Wednesdays |
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Welcome to the study of the medieval period
of
our shared history. The western world after the breakdown of Roman
hegemony
and before its expansion into global influence and hegemony is a
wondrous
place of great contradictions and the seedbed of the modern world.
Violence
and contemplation, faith and superstition, squalor and magnificence,
ignorance and flights of intellectual brilliance existed side by side.
It was the
Dark Age, the Age of Faith, the Age of Crusade, Castle and Cathedral.
From
humble beginnings grew the origins of modern representative
government, universities, languages and literatures, science and
philosophies. In this course we
will examine broadly these developments, and the voices of those who
participated in and reflected upon them. This is a study of medieval humanities:
that which Western humans have wrought over the millenium from
A.D.
400 to 1400 or so. This is a course that emphasizes reading, reflection and discussion, punctuated with a series of projects that will take you deeper into the period than can be afforded by our reading and my presentations. As with any good honors course, this is an "essay" in the sense of the French root of the word. Just as I hope that you will remain open to the experiences and endeavors that I have planned, I assure you that I will remain open to reasonable suggestions for modifications as we proceed. Honors courses should not only hone skills and stretch the mind, but also provide students opportunities to explore and develop their broader social, intellectual and spiritual selves. To these ends I hope that you find me to be supportive and encouraging of your critical and creative selves, your communicating self and your reflective self. I hope to foster leadership and team-working opportunities, and present you with tasks that will challenge your academic self-discipline, allowing you to grow as a student and a person. The Bible’s Book of Proverbs bids us "incline your ear to wisdom and apply thine heart to understanding:" our teachers this term are many and often great, let us incline, apply, question, challenge and learn. |
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Primary
Sources High Middle Ages:
Later Middle Ages:
Secondary Sources
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27 The Jesus Movement [New Testament: “Gospel of Matthew” (any version) or at http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/RsvMatt.html. Also, the following excerpts: 28 The Late Elton on Rome's fall] ***** 31 [IMS: Porphyry, “Against the Christians;” Diocletian, “Edicts of Persecution; Perpetua, "The Passion...203,” excerpts; Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History: “Conversion of See these sites on art: SEPTEMBER 1 Roman Christianity: Structures and Beliefs [IMS: The Nicene Creed; Tertullian on Pagan Learning; Jerome on Classical Literature; (Roman Church) Biblical Proof texts; Gelasius, "On the Two Powers;" Leo I, "On the Petrine Doctrine"] Fiero: 196-202; Norman, Chapter 1] See also these sites on early churches: centrally planned; basilicas. 3 Boethius: at the Crossroads [Consolation of Philosophy, Intro and Chapters 1 & 2] 4
Boethius: Foundations of Medieval
Philosophy 7
Labor Day THE EARLY MIDDLE AGES 14
Accommodation,
Conflict, and Assimilation [Bede, selections] 2 Early Christian Ireland [Meehan, Book of Kells] 5 Anglo Saxon Prose and Poetry [Crossley Holland, selections] 6 Anglo Saxon Heroic Epic: Beowulf [in Crossley Holland] 8
Anglo-Saxon Art 9
The
Early Germanic Kingdoms ***** THE HIGH MIDDLE AGES 22
[Nicolle, pp. 55-88] NOVEMBER 30
Chaucer's World |
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Final Examinations You may take the two
exams
on the same day or on two separate days. You should allow one hour for
each exam. You may skip a
Exam Periods:
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Course Section:
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THE ATTENDANCE
EVALUATION AND GRADING
A final grade of A in either sections will reflect outstanding performance on your part; clear and consistent application of effort; consistent preparation of all required materials; apparent thoughtfulness and mastery of the readings and presentations, and clear contributions to our collective learning through our projects. A final grade of B will reflect a high level of performance on your part; clearly apparent if sporadic application of great effort; generally acceptable level of preparation of most required materials; evidence of some reflection on and knowledge of the readings and presentations, and apparent and undisputed contributions to course projects. A final grade of C will reflect evidence of an adequate level of performance, desultory effort and mixed levels of preparation; evidence of engagement with the readings and presentations, and an effort to contribute to the course projects. No make-up or extra-credit work is possible beyond that listed in this document. LATE PAPERS OR PROJECTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. ALL ARE DUE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE ASSIGNED CLASS PERIOD. PERIOD. IF YOU ARE LATE, YOUR WORK IS LATE, AND THEREFORE UNACCEPTABLE. REQUIRED On the days indicated you should have prepared the reading by reading and notetaking and responding to whatever guides I provide. I will expect that you have completed the reading assignment, which may run to over a hundred pages. You should, therefore, scope out each week’s reading and provide ample time to complete all reading. Writing assignments and guides regarding the reading will be handed out several days in advance. The more carefully and fully you annotate your reading while you are doing it, the less review you will have to do later. This is especially important if you do the reading earlier than the night before it is due. On evenings before discussions I will be available at home via e-mail for suggestions or questions or ideas about the next day’s discussion. I encourage such contact, even though we do meet every weekday. Your input will help me fashion a more responsive and meaningful class discussion. I will take both written and mental notes on the course of discussions, and part of your grade will reflect your participation and apparent preparation. I may use short exercises or quizzes at the beginning of class to evaluate your preparation or understanding. In some cases you will begin or end classes with small group discussions, and these may be subject to evaluation. More formal written responses (both formal essays and informal responses akin to journal entries) will be required from time to time and will be graded. Although I heartily encourage discussion outside of class of the materials and guides I provide, I do expect and require only independent individual effort on written assignments that are to be turned in for credit. I highly suggest reading with a dictionary readily at hand, and using it as needed; I hope that you consider this a wonderful opportunity to develop your vocabulary, both passive and active. EXAMINATIONS
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As
you know
from your experience in Dr. Thorndike’s course, the Honors Program is always
seeking
to create more effective ways to evaluate and present the result of our
students’ (and our own!) work in progress. The course portfolio is one
way in which you can display in an efficient manner a range of your own
efforts that document your progress through the course. Unlike that for
Dr. Thorndike, our portfolios will contain a range of documentation, as
listed below. I will ask you to bring these to your final exam, and I
will get them back to you next Fall, or over the summer as I can.
To complete the course you must turn in a COMPLETE portfolio (or risk
an incomplete),
but the portfolio itself is not specifically graded. Most of its
contents
are class assignments. I will share these with colleagues as I deem
appropriate. Format: Contents: Exams:
a
copy of each (I will include your final); Art
PowerPoint
hard copy; Journal for
Music
Video and Centers of Civilization project; Music Video
Reflection
paper; Your Choice
of
three other papers or quizzes from the course; A Reflective
Essay
of 2-3 pages that conveys to the reader some sense of the value of the
course to your intellectual development. It should highlight the
way(s)
that you see yourself developing (intellectually, artistically,
socially,
spiritually, etc.) through this course, citing the documentary evidence
(your stuff) as indications or proof of your progress. You may choose
to
pick a theme or specific subject on which to focus. I will be happy to
discuss these with you individually as they develop. Because this is a
rather evaluative statement that might (in fact should) reflect your
feelings
for the course – and not be anonymous – I will not read these until
after
I have assigned and turned in my grades for the courses. I will NOT,
HOWEVER,
turn in your final grades until I have received your portfolio. |