Fall 2006 Graduate Courses - Medieval Institute, University of Notre Dame

715 Hesburgh Library, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556-5629, Telephone: (574) 631-6603, Facsimile: (574) 631-8644, Email: medinst@nd.edu

Fall 2006: Graduate Courses

MI 60001 Introduction to Medieval Studies
Thomas Noble
M 05:00-05:50

A one-credit-hour course designed to introduce students to the basic bibliographies, handbooks, and research tools in medieval studies. Professors from various disciplines will participate.

MI 60003 Introduction to Christian Latin
Anna Taylor
TR 2:00-3:15

“Introduction to Christian Latin Texts”(= Medieval Latin I) has two goals: to improve the student’s all-around facility in dealing with Latin texts and to introduce the student to the varieties of Christian Latin texts and basic resources that aid in their study. Exposure to texts will be provided through common readings which will advance in the course of the semester from the less to the more demanding and will include Latin versions of Scripture, exegesis, homiletic, texts dealing with religious life, formal theological texts, and Christian Latin poetry. Philological study of these texts will be supplemented by regular exercises in Latin composition. (Medieval Latin II, a survey of Medieval Latin texts, will follow this course in the spring term.)

MI 60110 Introduction to Old English
Tom Hall
TR 3:30-4:45

This introduction to the study of Old English will focus on the elements of the language preparatory to reading and analyzing a variety of prose and verse texts. Issues for discussion and study will include: current and past constructions of philology, the canon, the politics of editing, issues in translation, interpretative strategies, subject formation, issues in period construction, research tools, possibilities for future work. No prior experience with Old or Middle English is necessary. Requirements: an ungraded midterm assessment, daily class work, a brief paleography assignment, a short paper, a final exam.

MI 60119 The Exeter Book
Tom Hall
TR 11:00-12:15

A side-by-side, close textual analysis of the Vercilli and Exeter Books.

MI 60147 Literary Historiography and the Fifteenth Century
Katherine Zieman
TR 9:30-10:45

An exploration of the question: did 15th Century writers create a "15th Century" or were 15th Century writers created by the century?

MI 60220 The Roman Empire
Keith Bradley
TR 2:00-3:15

This advanced course in ancient history examines the Roman Empire from Augustus to Constantine. It deals with the establishment of the Augustan Principate and the progression of autocracy at Rome in the first two centuries of the imperial age, leading to discussion of what is generally called the third-century crisis and the new monarchy of Diocletian and Constantine. It investigates how the Roman Empire as a geo-political unit was governed and administered (paying particular attention to the all-powerful figure of the Roman emperor), and how the diverse regional cultures of the greater Mediterranean world were affected by Roman rule. Among topics studied are contemporary debates on Roman society, economy, demography, and culture.

MI 60401 Historical Theology: Medieval
Thomas Prugl
MW 1:30-2:45

A survey of Christian theology in Western Europe from the 12th century to the end of the Middle Ages. Although the Middle Ages witnessed considerable diversity in the doing of theology, in terms of both setting (e.g., monastery; university; nascent cities) and style (e.g., monastic; scholastic; vernacular and lay), medieval theologians of varying stripes were united by their common concern for wisdom . This course evaluates the medieval achievement in theology by reflecting on the pursuit of Christian wisdom in such leading authors as Anselm, Bernard of Clairvaux, Bonaventure, Aquinas, Mechthild of Magdeburg, and Marguerite Porette. Assignments include two brief reflection papers based on primary texts, and a final exam.

MI 60410 Jews and Christians Throughout History
Michael Signer
TR 03:30-04:45

In the closing days of the II Vatican Council Nostra Aetate (Declaration on non-Christian Religions) reversed a negative attitude of the Catholic Church toward Judaism and the Jewish people. This remarkable change promoted "dialogue" with Jews, and positive changes in the ways in which Judaism was presented in Liturgy and Catechesis. Reactions from the Jewish communities were diverse: from rejection to welcoming. This course will explore a number of issues which emerge from the history of Christian thought and theology: How did a negative image of Judaism develop within Christianity? In what ways did these unfavorable teachings contribute toward violence against the Jews? What is the relationship between Christian anti-Jewish teachings and Antisemitism? Is there any correspondence to Christian hostility within Judaism? In what ways have Jewish authors reacted to Christian tradition? We shall also want to construct a more positive theology for the future. How can Jews and Christians develop religious responses to modernity? In what senses can a study of Judaism by Christians, or Christianity by Jews, help either community to understand itself better? How can Christians and Jews develop a theology of "the other" which is not triumphalist, but empathic.

MI 60464 Medieval Exegesis Seminars
Michael Signer
T 09:30-12:15

Our focus during the semester will be on the relationship between biblical interpretation and the polemical literature written by Jewish and Christian authors from 1050 to 1200. Students will read the recent accounts of this literature by Gavin Langmuir, Anna Sapir Abulafia, Gilbert Dahan, and Jeremy Cohen. Excerpts from medieval Christian authors such as Abelard, Gilbert Crispin, Guibert of Nogent, Bernard of Clairvaux, Peter the Venerable, Petrus Alfonsi, and Alan of Lille. Passages from Jewish authors such as Rashi, Rabbi Joseph Kara, Rabbi Samuel ben Meier, and Rabbi Joseph of Orleans will also be studied. Students will be expected to make an oral presentation and write a paper that provides an explication of the arguments in a polemical work.

MI 60501 Medieval Spanish Literature: From Reconquest to Renaissance
Dayle Seidenspinner- Nunez
M 12:30-03:15

Readings of representative plays by Cervantes, Lope de Vega, Tirso de Molina, Ruiz de Alarcon, and Calederon de la Barca in their historical and cultural context. The works will be studied in the light of the theatrical theory of the period as well as the contemporary criticism.

MI 60533 Life, Love, and Literature in Renaissance Lyons
Jo Ann Della Neva
MW 1:30-2:45

The city of Lyon was a cultural center of Renaissance France. This course will focus on the literature that arose from that location, most especially (but not exclusively) the love poetry of three French Renaissance lyricists: Maurice Scève's Délie, the Rymes of Pernette Du Guillet and the Oeuvres poétiques of Louise Labé. Excerpts from other authors associated with Lyons, including Rabelais, Marot, and Du Bellay will also be treated. This course will take a "cultural studies" approach, and students will be expected to work on topics such as the presence of Italians, royal pageantry and celebrations, the presence of the court, industry, fairs, banking and trade, architecture, art and music, intellectual circles, and the Reformation in the city of Lyons. Special attention will be given to the role of women in Lyonnais society and the "Querelle des Amyes" generated in that city. This course will be taught in French. ROFR 30310 (Textual Analysis) or prior experience with textual analysis highly recommended. NOTE: If there is sufficient interest, it may be possible to arrange a "field trip" to Lyon over Spring Break. Please contact the professor immediately if you have an interest in pursuing this possibility.

MI 40552 Dante I
Ted Cachey
TR 12:30-1:45

The course will be a journey inside the ultimate nightmare in the whole history of literature: Dante's INFERNO--a prison for eternity, accurately subdivided like a model--dungeon, perfectly organized, with no possible evasions, no bribery to the guardians, no leagues between inmates, crossed through by two traveling poets, one of them relating about their trip with outstanding precision, the other guiding him after rescuing him and becoming one of the great characters of the entire poem. We will study this great metaphor of a cosmic incarceration created by Dante's genius, and the amazing variety of the world of the convicted felons, and the philosophical ideas that rule this descent into the womb of the Earth where Lucifer, the utmost convict, lies.

MI 60559 Boccaccio and the Novella Tradition
Piotr Salwa
R 3:00-5:30

A textual analysis of the Decameron, with emphasis on structure and themes. Different critical approaches will be used in the analysis of individual tales, their relationships to the frames and their reflection on Boccacio's society.

MI 60680 Medieval German Literature
Albert Wimmer
TR 11:00-12:15

This course constitutes a survey of German literature from its beginnings during Germanic times until the 16th century. Ideas, issues, and topics are discussed in such a way that their continuity can be seen throughout the centuries. Lectures and discussions are in German, but individual students' language abilities are taken into consideration. Readings include modern German selections from major medieval authors and works such as HILDEBRANDSLIED, ROLANDSLIED, NIBELUNGENLIED, IWEIN, PARZIVAL, TRISTAN, courtly lyric poetry, the German mystics, secular and religious medieval drama, DER ACKERMANN AUS BUHMEN, and the beast epic REINEKE FUCHS. Class discussions and brief presentations in German by students on the selections are intended as an opportunity for stimulating exchange and formal use of German.

MI 60753 Art into History: Reading the Art of Medieval Byzantium
Charles Barber
TR 12:30-01:45

Byzantine art has often been opposed to the traditions of western naturalism, and as such has been an undervalued or little known adjunct to the story of medieval art. In order to develop a more sophisticated understanding of this material we will examine the art produced in Byzantium in the period from the ninth to the twelfth century, a period which marks the high point of Byzantine artistic production and influence. Stress will be placed upon the function of this art within the broader setting of this society. Art theory, the notions of empire and holiness, the burdens of the past, and the realities of contemporary praxis will be brought to bear upon our various analyses of material from all media. How we, as art historians, can write the history of this rich culture will be a central issue of this course.

MI 63201 Proseminar in Medieval History I
Thomas F.X. Noble
T 3:30-6:00

This course is designed to introduce students to major historiographical issues and interpreters for the years between 450 and 1000. Students will learn to read critically, and must be prepared to write short summaries and discuss intelligently each week. The course will begin with the question of Late Antiquity as a distinct historical era, examine the Merovingian and Carolingian kingdoms, and end with the state of Europe in the year 1000.

MI 66020 Directed Readings (for Graduate Students)
Various Instructors
By arrangement

Offers students a possibility, normally in their second or third year, to work closely with a professor in preparing a topic mutually agreed upon. Student and professor must sign a form that records the readings.

MI 67001 2nd-Year Research Tutorial I
Thomas Noble
By arrangement

An intensive program of reading in primary sources (preponderantly in the original language) and scholarly literature with a view to identifying a worthwhile, original research project, for completion in the following semester,

77001 Field Examination Preparation
Thomas Noble
By arrangement

Offers students a possibility, normally in their second or third year, to work closely with a professor in preparing for one of their field examinations.

77002 Dissertation Proposal Preparation
Thomas Noble
By arrangement

Offers students the opportunity to work with their adviser in preparing their dissertation proposal.

88001 Research and Dissertation
Thomas Noble
By arrangement

Independent research and writing on an approved subject under the direction of a faculty member.

88002 Nonresident Dissertation Research
Thomas Noble
By arrangement

Required of nonresident graduate students who are completing their theses in absentia and who wish to retain their degree status.