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Fall 2005: Undergraduate Courses
MI 20473 Regarding the Islamic Challenge to Christian
Theology
Gabriel Said Reynolds
MWF 10:40-11:30
While many Christians describe Islam as a Christian heresy, many
Muslims consider Christianity to be an Islamic heresy. Jesus, they
maintain, was a Muslim prophet. Like Adam and Abraham before him,
like Mu?ammad after him, he was sent to preach Islam. By this view
Islam is the natural religion; it is eternal, universal and unchanging.
Other religions, including Christianity, arose only when people
went astray. Therefore Muslims have long challenged the legitimacy
of Christian doctrines which differ from Islam, including the Trinity,
the Incarnation, the Cross, the New Covenant and the Church. In
this course we will examine Islamic writings, from the Qur'an to
contemporary texts, in which these doctrines are challenged. We
will then examine the history of Christian responses to these challenges
and consider, as theologians, how Christians might approach them
today.
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MI 20772 Music History I: Medieval and Renaissance
Calvin Bower
TR 11:00-12:15
A survey of music. The study of the major forms and styles in Western
history. Required of music majors and minors, but open to students
with sufficient musical background.
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MI 30194 Journey in Medieval Literature
Terri Bays
MW 01:30-02:45
This course explores “the literature of errancy, knightly
and otherwise.” Texts representing a range of genres, regions,
and generations will enable assessment of those factors’
effect on the shape of the journey. Texts (in Modern English translation):
Dante’s Divine Comedy , Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales
, and Cervantes’ Don Quixote . Assignments: 3 papers and
a Final Exam, plus informal responses and an oral presentation.
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MI 30203 Middle Ages I
Jonathan Lyon
MWF 09:35-10:25
Did the Roman Empire fall, and did Europe enter the “Dark
Ages” following Rome’s collapse? This course will
aim to answer these questions by introducing students to the history
of Europe between approximately 300 and 1000 A.D. Students will
learn how three distinct cultural elements-Classical, Christian
and Germanic-fused during this period in order to create the unique
culture of early medieval Europe. Topics will include Christianity’s
growing influence within the Later Roman Empire; the emergence
of the Byzantine Empire and the Germanic kingdoms; the impact
of the Islamic conquests on Europe and the Mediterranean basin;
Irish missionary activities on the European continent; the intellectual
revival initiated by Charlemagne and his successors; the Vikings’
invasions, explorations and settlements in Europe and North America;
and the development of new kingdoms in Northern and Central Europe
during the 10th and early 11th centuries. Through lectures, discussions
and the reading of a broad range of primary and secondary sources,
students will have the opportunity to explore a critical phase
in the history of Europe and the Mediterranean basin.
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MI 30269 World of the Late Middle Ages, 1300-1500
John Van Engen
TR 09:30-10:45
The course studies Europe in the time of the late middle ages,
roughly 1300-1500, often called a time of crisis: plague, war,
rebellion, economic upheaval. But it was also a time of enormous
achievement, of Dante and Chaucer, of new techniques in warfare
and government, of conciliar representation in church and state,
of extravagant display in fashion and building. This course will
proceed by way of both secondary and primary readings, with at
least three short papers and student discussion required.
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MI 30281 War and Diplomacy in the Middle Ages
Jonathan Lyon
MWF 03:00-04:15
What kinds of governments and “non-state actors”
engaged in warfare and diplomacy during the European Middle Ages?
Were battles and military campaigns commonplace between approximately
500 and 1500 A.D.? Did the rulers of Europe in this period develop
effective strategies for settling their disputes in more peaceful
ways? This course will give students the opportunity to answer
these and other questions about the nature of war and diplomacy
in the Middle Ages. Topics will include the Roman Empire’s
efforts to control the waves of Germanic invaders; the dynastic
disputes that regularly threatened to destroy the Merovingian
and Carolingian Empires; the Viking incursions; the Papacy’s
conflicts with the rulers of Germany; the crusaders’ strategies
for conquering and maintaining control of the Holy Land; the emergence
of the Italian city-states as military powers; and the Hundred
Years War. Through lectures, discussions and the reading of a
broad range of primary sources, students will be challenged to
think about how various types of medieval rulers used war and
diplomacy to achieve their political goals.
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MI 30301 Ancient and Medieval Philosophy
Alfred Freddoso
MW 03:00-04:15
This course offers an introduction to modern philosophy and central
philosophical problems addressed in the modern period. The course’s
central focus will be on problems in metaphysics and epistemology.
These problems include, for instance, the nature of mind and body,
the existence of the external world, the scope and limits of knowledge,
the existence of God, and the apparent conflict between freedom
and determinism. We will be studying selections from the works
of philosophers in the so-called ‘rationalist’ tradition,
including Descartes, Spinoza, Malebranche, and Leibniz, from the
writings of philosophers in the so-called ‘empiricist’
tradition, including Galileo, Bacon, Boyle, Hobbes, Locke, Berkeley,
and Hume, and from the work of Immanuel Kant who can be seen as
providing a synthesis of these two traditions in his critical
philosophy. Readings: Modern Philosophy: An Anthology of Primary
Sources, Roger Ariew, Eric Watkins (eds.), Hackett, 2000. Requirements:
class participation, four short quizzes (12.5% each), a mid-term
paper (25%), and a final paper (25%).
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MI 30301 Ancient and Medieval Philosophy
Stephen Dumont
MWF 09:35-10:25
A survey of Western philosophy from its beginnings in the early
Greek physicists to the late Middle Ages. The emphasis in class
will be on the reading and analysis of fundamental texts by main
figures of the period: Parmenides, Plato, Aristotle, Augustine,
Anselm, Bonaventure, and Thomas Aquinas. Concurrent reading of
a standard history will supply additional background and continuity.
Requirements: Two papers (one each for the ancient and medieval
portions of the course), a mid-term, and final examination.
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MI 30411 Christian Theological Traditions I
Lawrence Cunningham
MWF 11:45-12:35
A survey of Christian Theology from the end of the New Testament
period to the eve of Reformation. Through the close reading of
primary texts, the course focuses on Christology of such influential
thinkers such as Origen, Athanasius, Augustine, Anselm and Aquinas.
How do these thinkers understand the person and work of Jesus
Christ? What are the Christological problems that they tried to
resolve? How do the different Christologies of these thinkers
relect their differing conceptions of the purpose and method of
“theology?” Some attention will also be given to non-theological
representations of Christ. How does the art of the early and medieval
periods manifest changes in the understanding of the significance
of Jesus. This course is obligitory for all first and supplementary
majors but is open to others who have completed the University
requirements of theology and who wish to gain a greater fluency
in the history of Christian thought.
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MI 30530 Survey of French Literature I
Jo Ann Della Neva
TR 11:00-12:15
This course is designed as an introduction to French literature
of the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Classical periods. Specifically,
it will examine in depth two opposing strands of literature: (1)
the “courtly”/serious tradition (Chrétien de
Troyes, Ronsard, Racine) and (2) the satiric/comic tradition (Villon,
Rabelais, Molière). Excerpts from other authors will be
read to round out the student’s exposure to literature of
this time. In addition to acquiring a basic familiarity with early
French literature, students will become more familiar with important
terminology for the study of literature of this period; this includes
general literary, rhetorical, and versification terms and the
identification of literary topoi and their significance. Throughout
this course, a close reading of texts will be emphasized and a
basic knowledge of textual analysis will be assumed, but students
will have the opportunity to improve on their skills of explication
de textes. Additionally, there will be a significant “cultural
studies” component to this course, which will include exposure
to the art, architecture, and music of this period. Requirements:
Students will also be expected to write one very brief paper (1-p.)
early in the semester to determine their degree of proficiency
as well as two moderate-length papers done in a series of drafts.
Other writing practice will include short answers to daily preparation
questions. There will be a final exam but no mid-term. Pre-requisite:
One 200-level course in French BEYOND 202 or permission of the
instructor.
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MI 30551 Introduction to Italian Literature I
Christian Moevs
TR 11:00-12:15
An introduction to the close reading and textual analysis of
representative texts from the Duecento through the Renaissance,
including Lentini, Guinizzelli, Cavalcanti, Dante, Petrarch, Boccaccio,
Poliziano, Machiavelli, and Ariosto. We will trace the profile
of Italian literary history in this period, setting the texts
in their cultural and historical context (including music, art,
and architecture), with attention to the changing understanding
of human nature and the physical world in these centuries. Requirements
include class participation, short essays, short presentations,
a midterm and a final. Taught in Italian. Prerequisite: ROIT 202
or equivalent; ROIT 310 suggested. The course is required for
majors and secondary majors.
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MI 30662 Canon and Literature of Islam
Asma Afsaruddin
TR 03:30-04:45
This course is an introduction to the fundamental religious texts
and literature of Islam. The list includes the Qur’an (the
central, sacred scripture of Islam), the hadith (record of the
speech and actions of the Prophet Muhammad), biography of the
Prophet, exegetical literature, historical texts, mystical and
devotional literature. Students will read primary texts in English
translation with a focused discussion and analysis of form, content,
historical background, religious significance, and literary allusions
of the various texts. Themes such as “the unity and majesty
of God;” prophecy and revelation;” good and evil;”this
world and the hereafter” will be dealt with in the lectures
and conversation in class. The course lays heavy emphasis on class
discussion and student preparedness.
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MI 30800 Ancient and Medieval Political Theory
Mary Keys
TR 12:35-01:45
What is the meaning of justice and why should we care about it?
Can politics ever perfectly establish justice? Which forms of
government are best for human beings to live under, and why? What
is the political relevance of religion and philosophy, family
and ethnicity, war and peace, nature and freedom, law and right?
What are the qualities of a good citizen and political leader?
How should relations among diverse political communities be conducted?
This course introduces students to theoretical reflection on these
and related questions through the study of some of the great works
of ancient and medieval political thought. Readings will include
writings of authors such as Thucydides, Plato, Aristotle, Cicero,
Augustine, Farabi, Maimonides, and Aquinas.
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MI 40003 Introduction to Christian Latin
Dan Sheerin
MTRF 08:30-09:20
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.)
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MI 40021 The Medieval Book
Calvin Bower
TR 03:30-04:45
A historical survey of the medieval book as a cultural, archeological,
artistic, and commercial object from about A.D. 300 to 1500.
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MI 40102 History of the English Language
Katherine O’Brien O’Keeffe
TR 02:00-03:15
This course is designed to introduce you to the historical development
of the English language, from its earliest recorded appearance
to its current state as a world language. It will cover the ways
in which languages are written down and how English has been written,
the ways people have understood language to work in the past and
in the present, the major developments in the grammar, syntax,
and pronunciation of English over time, loan words and foreign
influences on the word stock of English, and the social forces
driving linguistic change in English. This is a course for anyone
who loves words and is curious about their history or for anyone
who is interested in developing a deeper knowledge of the structures
of English, early and late. Requirements: Three semester examinations,
ten worksheets, one collaborative project.
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MI 40110 Introduction to Old English
Katherine O’Brien O’Keeffe
TR 11:00-12:15
Canst yu this gewrit understandan? Want to? “Beginning
Old English” will give you the tools to read a wide variety
of writings from Anglo-Saxon England. Approximately half the course
is dedicated to getting students up and running with the language,
and the rest will provide practical experience in reading and
discussing Old English works on monsters, saints, and heroes.
In-class discussion will cover questions of cultural difference,
translation, subjectivity, and otherness. Students in the course
will get hands on experience with facsimile texts in the library
and will work as well with on-line and CD-ROM resources. Requirements:
daily class work, a brief manuscript assignment, midterm, short
paper, final exam. No prior experience with Old or Middle English
is necessary for this course.
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MI 40361 Plato Christianus
Stephen Gersh
TR 02:00-03:15
This course is designed as an introduction to the philosophy
of Plato, the “Platonism” (i.e., Middle Platonism,
Neoplatonism) of antiquity, the transformation of Platonism by
the Greek and Latin Church Fathers, and the medieval and Renaissance
traditions derived from the above. In the first half of the semester,
we shall survey the tradition as a whole and deal with a variety
of general questions. However, particular attention will be given
to two fundamental hermeneutic criteria employed by the followers
of this tradition: namely, “radical selectivity” and
“philosophical allegorization.” In the second half
of the semester, two specific texts which have arguably set the
pattern for the Latin and Greek intellectual traditions respectively
will be studied in more detail: Augustine’s “On the
City of God” and the works of pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite.
The course is intended to be accessible to students without knowledge
of Latin or Greek. Requirement: one final paper of ca. 20 pp.
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MI 40363 Poetry and Philosophy in the 12th Century
Stephen Gersh
TR 12:30-01:45
This course will aim to provide a close reading of Bernard Silvestris’s
“Cosmographia” and Alan of Lille’s “De
Planctu Naturae” against the background of early twelfth-century
philosophical thought and grammatical-rhetorical theory. Although
it will be initially necessary to cover the philological and historical
ground with some care, the course will also attempt to explore
in a more speculative and creative manner the question of the
kind of relation between philosophy and literature in general
that works like the “Cosmographia” and “De Planctu”
suggest. As stimuli to such reflections, we shall pause to examine
in some detail such textual phenomena as the philosophical allegory,
the hermeneutical and metaphysical implications of number, the
notion of self-reflexivity, and the negative symbol. The course
is intended to be accessible to students without skill in Latin
(although the latter would, obviously, be an advantage). Requirement:
one final paper of ca. 20 pp.
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MI 40410 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.
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MI 40465 Topics in Medieval Theology: The Sacraments
Thomas Prügl
MW 11:45-01:00
Pastoral necessity as well as heresies and uncertainties about
the nature of the sacraments made it unavoidable for the medieval
church to reflect upon its most distinctive liturgical rites.
Within the context of the formation and growth of scholasticism,
the sacraments provided an excellent training ground to test the
strength of western theological thought. Due to the influence
of Peter Lombard’s collection of patristic “Sententiae”
the sacraments finally became a major field within the institutionalized
theology at the universities. Our course will focus on those events
and texts of the earlier Middle Ages which challenged theologians
like Paschasius Radbertus, Berengar of Tour and Lanfranc of Bec
to specify their views about the Eucharist. It will consider the
formation of a systematic treatise on the sacraments in the French
schools of the 12th century, and finally present the synthesis
of high scholastic sacramental theology in Thomas Aquinas and
Bonaventure. Besides the generic questions on the nature of the
sacraments as such, special attention shall also be paid to baptism,
the Eucharist, confirmation and penitence.
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MI 40552 Dante I
Piero Boitani
MW 11:45-01:00
Dante I normally covers the Inferno and Dante’s minor works,
but this fall, taught by Distinguished Visiting Professor Piero
Boitani, it will be slightly different. After a general introduction
to Dante’s works and to the structure of the Divine Comedy,
the course will examine major scenes and themes specially grouped
to enable us to read through the Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso.
Such will be, for example, the themes of the “noble heart”
(from Dante’s early works to the Paolo and Francesca scene
in Hell, and onwards), of the dignity of the human being (from
Limbo to Farinata and Cato), the episodes of Ulysses and Ugolino,
the various accounts of the Donati family, the recurring versions
of Creation, and the final vision of God. Text: the paperback
edition of Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso published by Oxford
University Press with the translation of John Sinclair. Exams:
there will be a mid-semester test before the break, and a final
exam before Thanksgiving.
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MI 40722 Romanesque Art
Charles Barber
TR 12:30-01:45
This course examines sculpture, architecture, manuscript illumination,
and mural painting along with the arts produced for church and
court treasuries in Western Europe during the 11th and 12th centuries.
Pilgrimage to the holy shrines, the veneration of saints, and
crusades to Jerusalem are among the issues discussed in relation
to the arts. Monastic and ecclesiastical reform, heresy, and renewed
interest in antiquity are also considered.
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MI 40725 Northern Renaissance Painting
Charles Rosenberg
TR 11:00-12:15
Open to all students. This course traces the development of painting
in Northern Europe (France, Germany, and Flanders) from approximately
1300 to 1500. Special attention is given to the art of Jan Van
Eyck, Rogier van der Weyden, Heironymous Bosch, and Albrecht Dürer.
Through the consideration of the history of manuscript and oil
painting and the graphic media, students will be introduced to
the special wedding of nature, art, and spirituality that defines
the achievement of the Northern Renaissance.
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MI 40757 Seminar: Venetian and Northern Italian
Renaissance Art
Randy Coleman
TR 03:30-04:45
This course focuses on significant artistic developments of the
sixteenth century in Venice with brief excursions to Lombardy
and Piedmont. Giorgione, Titian, and Palladio, the formulators
of the High Renaissance style in Venice, and subsequent artists
such as Tintoretto and Veronese are examined. An investigation
of the art produced in important provincial and urban centers
such as Brescia, Cremona, Milan, Parma, Varallo, and Vercilli
also provide insight into the traditions of the local schools
and their patronage.
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MI 43750 Seminar in Medieval Art
Charles Barber
TR 02:00-03:15
Iconoclasm Seminar
This seminar addresses the implications of destroying art. We
will seek to understand manifestations of this phenomenon as both
an historical and philosophical event. As such, this seminar will
address the impact of verbal discourse on visual material. In
particular, we will examine the consequences of “representation”
and the claims to a truth in painting that are implied in that
notion. To explore this theme we will pick our way through the
debates found in primary and secondary readings that address the
origins and nature of Byzantine iconoclasm. This early Medieval
controversy provides the primary moment for the formulation of
definitions regarding the possibility of a Christian art. A thorough
examination of the varieties of argument brought to bear on this
issue will provide paradigms for the consideration of the power
of representation in other periods. Students will be able to address
other manifestations of iconoclasm, including those of the Carolingian
period, of later Medieval Europe, and of the Reformation.
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MI 46020
Directed Readings (for Undergraduates)
Thomas Prügl
Offers advanced undergraduate students a possibility to work
closely with a professor in preparing a topic mutually agreed
upon.
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