Medieval History: Constantine to Calvin

We will begin the year studying history from the rise of Constantine and move from there into the fall of Rome in 410 and Augustine’s City of God and what some consider the foundation, theologically and philosophically speaking, of Western Civilization. From there we will work our way through various events of history and consider some of the most famous people known to us: adventurers, warlords, generals, kings, queens, scholars & priests and end with the Protestant Reformer John Calvin.

Course Objectives:

1. To give students an understanding of the rise of Western Civilization and the men and women who made it possible.
2. Equally, students will be encouraged to become proficient in the conversational approach to learning: close readings, interpretive questions, and Socratic discussions of the texts.
3. Students will develop lateral thinking skills by way of analyzing and synthesizing themes and motifs from both texts and strive to write persuasively about the perennial human questions of human life using Augustine as an intellectual foundation.

Texts:

• TBA