Integrated Humanities: The Medieval World

Through taking Integrated Humanities: The Medieval World, students will engage with primary and secondary sources reflecting the history, literature and theology of the era. Each unit of the course is guided by a specific passage of Scripture. The weekly rhythm includes a recorded lecture as an introduction of the material for discussion, accompanied by a class session for Socratic discussion. Students will develop their critical thinking and presentation skills through the various assignments, both written and oral, for the course. These conversations and activities all move toward equipping the student to develop a thoroughly biblical worldview.

Course Objectives:

At the end of this course, students will be able to…

1. Identify the historical context for our authors and texts.
2. Discuss at least one commonplace for each text.
3. Recite two passages of Scripture.
4. Explain the key theme(s) in their course texts.
5. Sketch a plot triangle for select readings.
6. Examine theological concepts in their course readings.
7. Evaluate texts based on a biblical worldview.
8. Develop a persuasive paper, integrating multiple course texts.

Texts:

Students will be reading all or select portions of the following texts:

• Alighieri, Dante, The Divine Comedy
• Anselm of Canterbury, Cur Deus Homo
• Aquinas, Thomas, Introduction to St. Thomas Aquinas
• Augustine of Hippo, The City of God
• Benedict of Nursia, The Rule of St. Benedict
• Beowulf
• Boethius, The Consolation of Philosophy
• Calvin, John, Institutes of the Christian Religion
• Cervantes, Miguel, Don Quixote
• Donne, John, “Divine Poems”
• Einhard and Notker the Stammerer, Two Lives of Charlemagne
• Eliot, T.S., Murder in the Cathedral
• Erasmus, Desiderius, In Praise of Folly
• Galileo, Selected Writings
• Geoffrey of Monmouth, The History of the Kings of Britain
• Geoffrey of Villehardouin, The Conquest of Constantinople
• Herbert, George, The Temple
• Luther, Martin, The Bondage of the Will [selections]
• Machiavelli, Niccolo, The Prince
• Malory, Thomas, Le Morte d’Arthur
• More, Thomas, Utopia
• Shakespeare, William, Hamlet

The instructor may provide PDF documents and expects the student to have a Bible for class (the instructor will use ESV).