HRS 126: HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY TO THE REFORMATION Professor Mary Doyno Summer 2016 On-Line Catalogue Description Christianity from Jesus to Martin Luther. Emphasis on the evolution of Christian thought and institutions and the relationship of the Church to popular culture and secular powers. Course Goals and Learning Objectives This course provides an introduction to the history of Christianity from its beginnings in the Ancient Roman world through the changes brought by Martin Luther. In particular, we will study martyrs, monks, pilgrims, crusaders, mystics, popes, relic-thieves, and heretics. With the help of historical, literary, and artistic records, we will investigate the following questions, among others: How did Christianity change from a minor cult to a world religion over the course of the Middle Ages? Was the medieval Church firmly pro-faith and anti-reason? Did medieval Christians prefer to engage in violent conflict or peaceful coexistence with their Jewish and Muslim neighbors? And how did medieval Christianity contribute to the Western notion of the individual self? What were the circumstances leading to Martin Luther s new understanding of Christianity? Goals: to provide an overview of the Christian history of medieval Europe from the fall of Rome to the beginning of the Renaissance to understand how developments in the history of Christianity lay the foundation for modernity and future western institutions, mindsets, and philosophies to develop students critical thinking skills to train students in analyzing historical documents of all kinds (including written texts, art objects, spaces, maps, music, etc.) to develop the skills necessary for writing well-organized, analytical papers based on primary source evidence Learning Objectives: Upon completion of the course, students will be able to: understand the significance of major developments in the history of medieval European Christianity explain why the study of pre-modern Christianity is important to our understanding of the development of western civilization as a whole employ the interpretive reading and writing skills developed in this course in academic and non-academic contexts GE AREA C2 LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students who have completed a GE subarea C2 course should be able to demonstrate knowledge of the conventions and methods of the study of the humanities; investigate, describe, and analyze the roles and effects of human culture and understanding in the development of human societies; 1
compare and analyze various conceptions of humankind; demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the historical development of cultures and civilizations, including their animating ideas and values. Required Texts & Other Readings on SacCT Course Site: The following texts are available for purchase in Hornet bookstore, and through online vendors such as www.half.com or www.abebooks.com (good for cheaper, used books) or www.amazon.com (typically discounted): F. Donald Logan, A History of the Church in the Middle Ages, (Routledge, 2012) ISBN 978-0415669948) Daniel Borestein, editor, Medieval Christianity (A People's History of Christianity, Vol. 4), (Fortress Press, 2007) ISBN 978-0800697228 John Shinners, editor, Medieval Popular Religion 1000-1500, A Reader, second edition (University of Toronto Press, 2008) ISBN 978-1-44260-106-2 All other readings will become available on the course s SacCT site as pdf or doc files closer to the week they are due. These readings are marked as in the syllabus below. Requirements and Grading 5 Primary Source Analysis Worksheets (10% each) 50% Participation in discussion 30% Final Essay 20% 1. Primary Source Analysis: A week before it is due, you will be given a Primary Source Analysis Worksheet that focuses upon one or two sources found in the Shinner s Medieval Popular Religion reader. These assignments are meant to prepare you for the process of writing your final essay. Spelling and grammatical mistakes will negatively impact your grade. You must email your completed worksheets by 12pm on the day they are due. You will be marked down a 1/3 of a letter grade for every hour past 12pm. In other words, if I receive your worksheet between 12:01 and 1pm, the highest grade you would be able to receive would be an A-. 2. In-Class Participation: Please note that discussion comprises 30% of your final grade. For this class, discussion counts as being an active participant on our discussion boards. To be an active participant, you should be checking and responding to the board at least three times a week. I keep a weekly record of participation grades, so feel free to ask how you are doing at any time. 3. Final Essay: The primary goal of this essay is to give you the chance to demonstrate your ability to make the kinds of connections and interpretations that we have been practicing in our discussions and writing assignments all semester. You will be given the final essay prompt 10 days before the essay is due. 2
Your final essay must be in Word format, as well as typed and double-spaced, with at least one-inch margins on all sides. Failure to follow any of these guidelines will negatively impact your essay s grad. All written work will be assessed for style, grammar, syntax, and spelling as well as content. Please proofread your work! Do not rely on your computer s spellchecker or grammar checker. Extensions, Academic Honesty, and Computers I do not grant extensions other than for exceptional and documented circumstances (for instance, an exam conflict, religious holiday, illness, or family emergency). Plagiarism will not be tolerated in this course, and all cases of suspected plagiarism will be reported. Please note that plagiarism does not merely involve direct quotation without citation it can include paraphrasing without citation, taking an author s ideas (but not their words) as your own, and so on. If you are not sure, ask! I make frequent use of internet search engines and other services to check for plagiarism. Any assignment in which even the slightest instance of plagiarism is detected will receive a grade of zero points. There will be no option to rewrite the assignment. Getting in Touch Office Location: Mendocino Hall 2026 Office hours: via conference call (more details to follow) Office phone: 916-278-7329 Email: mary.doyno@csus.edu Class Schedule: Unit 1 Beginnings: The Invention of Medieval Christianity (33 C.E. 1050 C.E.) 7/13: Christians in the Roman Empire Constantine s Conversion & the Legalization of Christianity Reading: Logan, pp. 4-12, and 29-35; Bornstein, pp. 1-25; Perpetua ; Constantine sources ; Virginity in the Early Church 7/15: Converting Medieval Europe Carolingian Transformations Reading: Logan, pp. 12-28, 45-66, and 67-83; Bornstein, pp. 29-52; The Early Medieval Barbatoria ; Carolingian Sources 3
Unit 2 The Birth and Reform of the Church (10 th -12 th centuries) 7/20: The Birth of Cluny, The Great Schism, and The Investiture Controversy Reading: Logan, pp. 98-109; Rule of St. Benedict Cluny & Investiture sources Due: Primary Source Analysis #1 7/22: Eleventh- and Twelfth-Century Transformations Reading: Logan, pp. 135-141; 12 th century sources ; Images in the World: Reading the Crucifix Unit 3 The Heyday: Themes in High Medieval Christianity 7/26: Medieval Christianity in Practice I: Saints, Pilgrimage, and Relics Reading: Bornstein, pp. 75-106; Translation of the Body of St. Junianus, Pilgrimage and Spiritual Healing in the Ninth Century ; Victor Turner article Due: Primary Source Analysis #2 7/29: Medieval Christianity in Practice II: Architecture, and Scholasticism Reading: Logan, pp. 142-151, and 211-237; Bornstein, pp. 109-146; The Consecration of Church Space 8/3: Christianity in Practice III: Penance, Indulgences, Purgatory, and Confession Reading: Logan, pp. 268-276; Bornstein pp. 205-225, 353-380; Doing Penance, A Penitential Diet, A Layman s Penance Due: Primary Source Analysis #3 Unit 4 Christians and Their Neighbors 8/5: Holy War: Crusades, Pogroms, and Reconquista Reading: Bornstein, pp. 147-159, and 265-299; Logan pp. 109-121, and 238-256; Rules and Ritual on the Second Crusade Campaign to Lisbon, 1147 Unit 5 Late Medieval Transformations (1300 C.E. 1500 C.E.) 8/10: Religious Movements: Monks, Heretics and Women 4
Reading: Logan, pp. 126-135, 172-210; Bornstein, pp. 179-203, and 229-264; A Sermon on the Values of the Contemplative Life, Interrogation of Waldensians, Cathars and Baptism, Religious Women in the Later Middle Ages Due: Primary Source Analysis #4 8/12: Domestic Religion and Late Medieval Parish Life Reading: Bornstein pp. 303-351; Prayers, Two Healing Prayers, Fourteenth-Century Instructions for Bedside Pastoral Care Unit 6 Corruption and Reformation 8/15: The Corruption of the Papacy (Avignon, Conciliarism) Logan, pp. 277-316; Conciliar sources Due: Primary Source Analysis #5 8/17: The Inevitable Renaissance and Reformation? Reading: Reforming from Below, The Spirituality of Renaissance Humanism, Luther and the Beginnings of Reform FINAL PAPER: DUE (via email) 8/21, by 7pm 5