HCHCR48700/THEO 48701/HIST Late Medieval Women: Authorship and Authority

Transcription

1 HCHCR48700/THEO 48701/HIST Late Medieval Women: Authorship and Authority Willemien Otten, Tu. 1:30-4:20 S208 Office: Swift 300b, tel ; Office hours: W. 2:00 4 pm. (or by appt) wotten@uchicago.edu I Course Description: In recent decades there has been a great deal of interest in vernacular theology, as complementing and complicating the more traditional division of medieval theological texts into monastic and scholastic. This course will focus on a number of medieval women writers, dealing mainly, albeit not exclusively, with texts written by women in the vernacular. After an introductory historical overview of the position of women in the early Middle Ages, the course will focus on Heloise and Hildegard of Bingen as two twelfth-century spiritual authors, and continue with five women writers writing in the vernacular, but representing different linguistic regions. They are, respectively, Mechtild of Magdeburg (German), Hadewijch (Dutch), Marguerite Porete (French), Julian of Norwich, and Margery Kempe (English). Meister Eckhart will primarily be read for purposes of comparison and to account for the influence of these women s texts. The course will link the spectrum of vernacular languages which these women authors represent with the diversity of their individual positions and try to analyze that span of diversity in terms of ecclesiastical development, gender division, authorial identity, theoretical position, and theological criticism. The final aim of the course is to come to an assessment of the constructive contribution of these vernacular treatises to the tradition of late medieval theology and spirituality. II Course requirements are the following: 1. Completion of all required readings on schedule. Please, familiarize yourself with the readings, especially the primary ones, and be ready to discuss them in class. 2. At least one oral presentation on (a portion of) the assigned primary or secondary readings. A schedule will be drawn up at the beginning of term. 3. A final research paper of approx. 15 pp. III Required Texts: Available at the Seminary Coop and on reserve at Regenstein The Letters of Abelard and Heloise (London: Penguin, rev. 2004) Barbara Newman, From Virile Woman to Woman Christ: Studies in Medieval Religion and Literature (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1995) Hildegard of Bingen, Scivias (Mahwah NY: Paulist Press, 1990) CWS Mechtild of Magdeburg, The Flowing Light of the Godhead (Mahwah NY: Paulist Press, 1997) Hadewijch, The Complete Works (Mahwah NY: Paulist Press, 1980) CWS

2 Marguerite Porete, The Mirror of Simple Souls (Mahwah: Paulist Press, 1993) CWS Bernard McGinn, The Flowering of Mysticism. Men and Women in the New Mysticism (New York: Crossroad, 1998) Amy Hollywood, The Soul as Virgin Wife: Mechtild of Magdeburg, Marguerite Porete, and Meister Eckhart (Notre Dame: Notre Dame University Press, 2001) -----, Acute Melancholia and Other Essays: Mysticism, History, and the Study of Religion (Gender, Theory, and Religion) (New York: Columbia Beatrice of Nazareth, On Seven Ways of Holy Love (see chalk-e-resource) Meister Eckhart, The Essential Sermons, Treatises, Commentaries, and Defense (Mahwah: Paulist Press, 1981) CWS Julian of Norwich, Showings (Mahwah, NY: Paulist Press, 1977) CWS Margery Kempe, The Book of Margery Kempe (1985; London: Penguin, rev. 1994) Patricia Dailey, Promised Bodies. Time, Language, and Corporeality in Medieval Women s Texts (New York: Columbia University Press, 2013) (not ordered; available as online library resource) Recommended Texts: Peter Dronke, Women Writers of the Middle Ages: A Critical Study of Texts from Perpetua (d. 203) to Marguerite Porete (d. 1310), (Cambridge UK: CUP, 1984) Bernard McGinn, The Growth of Mysticism. Gregory the Great through the Twelfth Century (New York: Crossroad, 1996) Barbara Newman, Sister of Wisdom (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1987) F.C. Bauerschmidt, Julian of Norwich and the Mystical Body Politic of Christ (Notre Dame: Notre Dame University Press, 1999) Karma Lochrie, Margery Kempe and Translations of the Flesh (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1994) Further Texts on Reserve: Caroline Walker Bynum, Jesus as Mother: Studies in the Spirituality of the High Middle Ages (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1984) -----, Holy Feast and Holy Fast: The Religious Significance of Food to Medieval Women (Berkeley; Univ. of California Press, 1988) -----, Fragmentation and Redemption: Essays on Gender and the Human Body in Medieval Religion (New York: Zone Books, 1991) John C. Hirsh, The Boundaries of Faith. The Development and Transmission of Medieval Spirituality (Leiden: Brill, 1996) Jeffrey F. Hamburger a.o, (eds.), Crown and Veil. Female Monasticism from the Fifth to the Fifteenth Centuries (New York: Columbia, 2008) Amy Hollywood, Sensible Ecstasy: Mysticism, Sexual Difference, and the Demands of History (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2002) Virginia Burrus (ed.), Toward a Theology of Eros: Transfiguring Passion at the Limits of Discipline (New York: Fordham University Press, 2007) Gerard Loughlin (ed.), Queer Theology: Rethinking the Western Body (Malden 2

3 MA/Oxford: Blackwell, 2007) Catherine Keller, The Apophasis of Gender: A Fourfold Unsaying of Feminist Theology, Journal of the American Academy of Religion 76 (2008) (ereserve) IV Course Schedule: Week 1: 3/28 Introduction and Historical Overview Read: Dronke, 1-139; McGinn, Flowering of Mysticism, Introduction Newman, From Virile Woman to WomanChrist, ch.1 Hollywood, Soul as Virgin Wife, chs. 1-2 Dailey, Promised Bodies (e-book available), ch. 1 Week 2: 4/04 Heloise and Hildegard Read: Letters of Heloise Newman, From Virile Woman to WomanChrist, ch. 2 Dronke, Women Writers, ch. 5 (Heloise) Hildegard of Bingen, Scivias, Book I and III Dronke, Women Writers, ch. 6 (Hildegard) McGinn, Growth of Mysticism, ch. 8 Newman, Sister of Wisdom, chs. 1 and 2 Week 3: 4/11 Mechtild of Magdeburg, The Flowing Light of the Godhead Read: text Mechtild Bynum, Jesus as Mother, pp Hollywood, Soul as Virgin Wife, ch. 3 Newman, Virile Woman to WomanChrist, ch. 5 McGinn, Flowering of Mysticism, chs 1 and 5 (pp ) Week 4: 4/18 Hadewijch of Antwerp, Works Read: texts Hadewijch Hollywood, Sexual Desire, Divine Desire: Queering the Beguines in Toward a Theology of Eros, pp (e-reserve) (also in Acute Melancholia) McGinn, Flowering of Mysticism, ch. 5 (pp ) Newman, From Virile Woman to WomanChrist, Excursus 1 (Hadewijch and Abelard Week 5: 4/25 Discussion of Hadewijch, Works, continued; Beatrice of Nazareth, Seven Ways of Holy Love; 3

4 Read: Hollywood, Acute Melancholia, Part I and Part IV; overflow of readings of the first weeks Week 6: 5/02 Marguerite Porete, Mirror of Simple Souls Read: texts Marguerite Dronke, Women Writers, ch. 7 Hollywood, Soul as Virgin Wife, ch. 4 Hollywood, Queering the Beguines in Queer Theology, pp (e-reserve) Hollywood, Acute Melancholia, Part II and Part III McGinn, Flowering of Mysticism, ch. 5 (pp ) Week 7: 5/09 Meister Eckhart Read: Eckhart, Selections from the Commentary on John (pp ); Selected Sermons, pp Hollywood, Soul as Virgin Wife, ch. 5 7 Newman, From Virile Woman to WomanChrist, Excursus 2 (pp ) Week 8: 5/16 Julian of Norwich Read: Julian, Showings. Long Text F.C. Bauerschmidt, Julian of Norwich and the Mystical Body Politic of Christ (chalk, ch. 2) Week 9: 5/23 Margery Kempe Read: Book of Margery Kempe John Hirsh, The Boundaries of Faith (Author and Scribe in the Book of Margery Kempe) Karma Lochrie, Translations of the Flesh, chs. 1-3 Week 10: 5/30 Final class: closing discussion, overflow of readings week 6 through Read: Catherine Keller, The Apophasis of Gender: A Fourfold Unsaying of Feminist Theology (e-reserve) Hollywood, Acute Melancholia, Part V Paper DUE date: Friday, June 2 4

5 DVPR Readings in Chinese Buddhism: Chan and Zen Buddhism Brook A. Ziporyn M 3:00-5:50 S200 Office Hours: By Appointment This course will consist of the close reading and discussion of primary texts (in translation) of the Chan and Zen Buddhism of China and Japan, with a few secondary descriptions of Zen institutions and cultural influences. This will be done both with an eye to the historical development of these schools of thought and practice within the context of East Asian Buddhism in general, and for whatever transhistorical valences we care to derive from the texts. The following required texts are available for purchase at the Seminary Co-op: Sekida, Translator. Two Zen Classics: The Gateless Gate and The Blue Cliff Record. ISBN-13: Shambhala, Tanahashi and Aitken, Translators. Dogen, Moon in a Dewdrop. ISBN-13: North Point, Photocopied materials will also be sent to all students as a pdf file over . There are required readings. If a paper copy is preferred, students can obtain the original materials for photocopying on their own from the instructor. Though the readings for this course are in English, students with proficiency in classical Chinese are encouraged to read original texts whenever possible, and bring up any issues arising from discrepancies or extra resonances discovered thereby in class, time permitting. Depending on the classroom demographics, we will work out a way to integrate the Chinese and English aspects of the discussion in situ. This schedule is subject to change depending on the pace of our stride during the course; if we find some topics more worth discussing or more interesting to the present company, we will stretch the time alloted thereto. Our schedule is roughly as follows. 1/6/2014: Introductions, Basic Buddhism, Mahayana Read: Quick Pop Overview of Early Buddhist and Mahayana Motifs (Ziporyn), and if not already familiar with them, take a little dip into a few key Indian Mahayana scriptural texts: E.g., The Heart Sutra, (aka"maha-prajna-paramita-hridaya, ) and the "Diamond(-cutter) Sutra," (aka Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra ) ( ). Also have a taste of TheVimalakirti Sutra (Chapter 3, "The Disciples," and Chapter 9, "Entering the Gate of Nondualism,") in Coursepack pp Lankavatara Sutra, excerpts ( 1/13: "Northern School" of Chan: Coursepack, pp (Including: Bodhidharma ("First Patriarch"), "Two Entrances," trans. McCrae, pp ; "Daoxin's" ("Fourth Patriarch") "Methods of Bodhisattva Discipline," trans. Cleary (Records of the Lanka, Zen Dawn), pp ; "Hongren's" ("Fifth Patriach") "Treatise on the Essentials of Cultivating the Mind," McCrae, pp ; Shenxiu's ("Sixth Patriarch" of Northern School) "Contemplating Mind," Cleary, pp ; Shenxiu's "Five Expedient Means," McCrae, pp ). 1/20: Southern School of Chan: The figure of Huineng, the new "Sixth Patriarch": "Sutra Spoken by the Sixth Patriarch," ( 5

6 Heze School: Coursepack, pp (Peter Gregory, Tsung-mi and the Sinification of Buddhism, pp ) 1/27: Chinese Apocryphal Scripture: Surangama Sutra ( Select and download The Surangama Sutra. Try to read up to p. 171) 2/3: Hongzhou School: Coursepack, pp (Mazu (Ma-tzu) (pp ), Baizhang (Paichang) (pp ), from Chang, Original Teachings of Chan Buddhism. Huangbo (Huangpo) teachings, from Blofeld, The Zen Teachings of Huangpo, pp , 87-93, Linji (Rinzai), in Luk, Chan and Zen Teachings, pp ) 2/10: "Shi-tou School": Coursepack, pp (Dongshan and Caoshan (Tung-shan and Ts'aoshan) in Luk, pp ) Further Materials to be sent over . 2/17: Coursepack, pp , (Collcutt, "The Early Ch'an Monastic Rule," pp Bielefeldt, "Ch'ang-lu Tsung-tse's Tso-Ch'an I and the 'Secret' of Zen Meditation," pp , ) 2/24: Relations with Broader Buddhism: Coursepack, pp ). Chappell, "From Dispute to Dual Cultivation: Pure Land Responses to Ch'an Critics," pp ) 3/3: Zen Meditation and Koan Collections: Gateless Gate and Blue Cliff Record, in Addis, pp Sekida s commentary to be found in Two Zen Classics, Coursepack pp Sekida, Zen Training, excepts in Coursepack, pp. 249 ff. 3/10: More Song dynasty Chan: Coursepack pp (Yuan Wu selections ("essentials of mind," pp ), Dahui (Ta-hui) selections, Hongzhi (Hung-chih) selections (pp ). 3.17: Japanese Soto Zen: Dogen, Moon in a Dewdrop. Actualizing the Fundamental Point, The Time-Being, Life and Death, The Mountain and Rivers Sutra, Painting of a Rice-Cake, On the Endeavor of the Way. Assignments and Grading: Students will be expected to write one substantial final term paper at the end of the term, due March 24, to be submitted over to me at ziporyn@uchicago.edu. 6

7 DVPR The Pantheist Controversy: Spinoza to Hegel Brook A. Ziporyn M 3:00-5:50 S208 Books: Please purchase the following at Seminary Co-op or online: Shirley, trans., The Essential Spinoza: Ethics and Related Writings (Hackett) Hegel, Faith and Knowledge (SUNY) Macherey, Pierre, translated by Ruddick, Hegel or Spinoza? (Minnesota) Philosophy of German Idealism: Fichte, Jacobi, Schelling (PGI), in The German Library series (Continuum) Schelling, On the History of Modern Philosophy (Cambridge) Additional materials (TBA) may be distributed over and/or be available on CHALK in pdf form. March 27: Read Spinoza, Treatise on Emendation of the Intellect (all) (In Spinoza, Complete Works, on CHALK). Read also the various accounts of the types of knowledge, in TEI, 19-30, Ethics 2p40s2, and Short Treatise, Part Two, Chapters 1-2, pp in Complete Works. Additional secondary readings (Ziporyn, Notes on TEI and MT ; Garrett, Spinoza s Theory of Scientiva Intuitiva, available on CHALK. Begin Principles of Cartesian Philosophy: Part 1 (all up to Proposition 15), Part 2 (also all up to Proposition 15, especially Propositions 9-11) and Metaphysical Thoughts (all). April 3-17: Read Ethics, topped off with splashes of the parallel sections of Short Treatise on God, Man and his Well-Being. We should try to finish Part 2 and be well into Part 3 before beginning Jacobi. April 24: Continue reading Ethics; read Jacobi, Concerning the Doctrine of Spinoza in Letters to Moses Mendelssohn (1785) (Jacobi, The Main Philosophical Writings (pdf), pp ); Jacobi, Open Letter to Fichte, (1799), in Philosophy of German Idealism (henceforth PGI ), pp (Cf. Main Philosophical Writings, pp ) May 1: Continue reading Ethics; RECOMMENDED read Kant, Critique of Judgment (in any edition) Sections 10, 72-78; Read Schelling, Ideas on a Philosophy of Nature as an Introduction to the Study of This Science, (1803) and Deduction of a Universal Organ of Philosophy, or Main Proposition of the Philosophy of Art According to Principles of Transcendental Idealism, (1800), in PGI, pp May 8-15: Continue reading Ethics; read Hegel, Faith and Knowledge (1802) (all). May 22-29: Continue reading Ethics; read Jacobi, On Faith and Knowledge in Response to Schelling and Hegel (1803), in PGI, pp ; read Hegel, Preface, Phenomenology of Spirit (pdf), and RECOMMENDED read Macherey, Hegel or Spinoza, pp June 5: Finish reading Ethics. Read Don Garrett, Spinoza on the Essence of the Human Body and the Part of the Mind that is Eternal, (available in Cambridge Companion to Spinoza s Ethics). Read Schelling, Philosophical Investigations into the Essence of Human Freedom, in PGI, at least pp Hegel, Lectures on the History of Philosophy, Volume 3, Spinoza (pp ), Jacobi, Schelling (pp ) Schelling, On the History of Modern Philosophy, Spinoza (pp ), Hegel (pp ), Jacobi and Theosophy (pp ) Final research paper ( words) due June 10. 7