Fall 2022 Course Listings for Medieval Studies

EALC/CWL 275 - Masterpieces of East Asian Lit

Prof. Persiani

MW 1200-12:50 + Discussion

Study of major works in the literary traditions of China and Japan, including haiku, noh, Tale of Genji, kabuki, Tang poetry, Ming theater, and the colloquial tale.

 

EALC/HIST 220 – Traditional China

Prof. Chow

TR 2:00-3:20

Historical background to the modern age, tracing the Chinese state and empire from the earliest times until 1644 A.D. Basic political, social, and economic patterns; cultural, intellectual, and technological achievements; and China's impact on Asia and the world.

 

ENGL 216/MDVL 216/CWL 216 - Legends of King Arthur

Jamie Keener

MWF 10:00-10:50 AM

 

Arthurian myth and legend is one of the most enduring literary traditions of Western Europe, and the characters of Arthur, Merlin, Guinevere, Lancelot, Gawain and Mordred were as popular in the Middle Ages as they are today. Originating in early medieval Wales, the legends traveled through England to France and Germany and throughout the modern world. Students will study the development of the Arthurian tradition in chronicles, poetry, romances, lais, and fabliaux, comparing variations across cultural and historical boundaries.

 

ITAL/MDVL/CWL 240 - Italy Middle Ages and Renaissance

Prof. Stoppino

TR 11:00-12:20

The Foul and the Fragrant This course will provide an introduction to the medieval and early renaissance literature of Italy from the point of view of education: we will explore topics such as the formation of manners, the creation of ideals of civility, the representation of chivalric behaviors. We will focus on the education of the perfect poet, the perfect wife and the perfect nun; on the upbringing of the perfect lady and the perfect courtier, the care and grooming of the courtly body, and the rejection of the lower bodily functions. In English.

 

REL/EALC 287 - Introduction to Buddhism

Prof. Mayer

F 4:00-6:50

Thematic approach to the history of Buddhism from its origin in India to its spread throughout China and Japan; explores how the doctrinal and social development of Buddhism in East Asia is related to the process of cultural adaptation.

 

REL/SAME 214 – Introduction to Islam

Prof. Ali

TR 11:00-12:20

History of Islamic thought from the time of Muhammad to the present, including the prophethood of Muhammad, the Qur'an, theology and law, mysticism and philosophy, sectarian movements, modernism and legal reform, and contemporary resurgence.

 

REL/SAME 260 - Mystics and Saints in Islam

Prof. Ali

TR 2:00-3:20

Examines mystical concepts and practices in Islam through the ages, through the lives and writings of important mystics and Sufi holy men and women, as well as the integration of mysticism and the Sufi Orders into Muslim society and Islamic orthodoxy.

 

SCAN/MDVL/REL/CWL 251 - Viking Mythology

Prof. TBA

TR 12:30-1:30

Studies pre-Christian beliefs of the Germanic peoples as reflected primarily in medieval Icelandic prose and poetry (in translation).

 

SCAN/MDVL 305 - Old Norse-Icelandic I

Prof. TBA

TR tbd (probably 3-5)

Provides a solid proficiency in reading texts in Old Norse, the language of the Viking sagas and

mythology.

 

ARCH/MDVL 412 - Medieval Architecture

Prof. Grossman

TR 3:30-4:50

This course introduces the architecture, monumental arts, and urbanism of Byzantium and medieval western Europe from c. 300-1500, using a comparative approach. We will learn about Byzantium’s domed churches and robust cities, Europe’s Romanesque monasteries and pilgrimage destinations, and its soaring Gothic cathedrals, fortresses, and cities. It integrates architecture with the study of the roles of secular and ecclesiastical authority, design and technological developments, religious performance and observance, warfare and trade between regions, and developing urbanism.

 

ITAL/MDVL/CWL 414 - Petrarch & Boccaccio

Prof. Stoppino

TR 2:00-3:20

Boccaccio's Decameron  This course explores Boccaccio's collection of tales, called Decameron, following the adventures of star-crossed lovers and inveterate sinners, ambitious merchants and licentious priests, cunning wives and clueless travelers. Through the Decameron, we will understand a crucial moment of world history, the European Middle Ages and, within it, the Mediterranean culture of circulation and contacts. Readings and discussions in English (with dedicated readings and discussions in Italian for graduate students, majors and anyone interested).

 

REL/MDVL 440 – Early Christian Thought

Prof. Layton

TR 2:00-3:20

Study of major developments in early Christian thought (first four centuries) through discussion of primary texts in translation.

 

IS583 - History of the Book Online

Prof. Mak

R 9:30-12:20

This course will explore the role of the book in the production and transmission of knowledge from antiquity to the 21st century.

We will examine how books have been made, read, and preserved through time, and consider their role in the development and dissemination of ideas. Particular attention will be paid to the graphic representation and visualization of information across media.

Areas of interest include the contributions of material form, technology, writers, and readers to the formulation and circulation of knowledge. Assigned readings will encourage students to examine different approaches to the study of books and documents, including those of palaeography, diplomatics, bibliography, art history, musicology, textual criticism, digital humanities, and new media studies.

Each week, a lecture will be followed by a student-led discussion on the required readings (90–100 pages per week). These discussions will consider how different scholars have understood the book and its role in society. How is the history of the book shaped by different disciplinary approaches? How have these approaches affected the ways that we now understand books, libraries, documentary materials, archives, knowledge, and information in general?

 

SCAN/MDVL 505 - Old Norse-Icelandic I

Prof. TBA

TR 3:00-4:20

Provides a solid proficiency in reading texts in Old Norse, the language of the Viking sagas and mythology.