DEPARTMENT OF PRE MODERN AND ANCIENT WORLD STUDIES
ART 110A. Art History I
4 credits
Gimenez-Berger, Alejandra
Prerequisite: none.
A selective chronological survey of architecture, painting, sculpture and decorative arts from the birth of art in the Prehistoric period through its development in the Middle Ages, with an emphasis on the Western tradition.
ART 230H 1W. Baroque and Rococo Art
4 credits
Gimenez-Berger, Alejandra
Prerequisite: Art 110H or 120H or permission of instructor.
Surveys the art, architecture and sculpture produced during the Baroque and Rococo periods (ca. 1600-1800) in Western Europe. Art objects and monuments will be discussed in context, with attention to individual artists, patrons, and religious and historical events.
ART 280. Topics: Non-Western Art
4 credits
Glowski, Janice
Prerequisite: none.
This course surveys visual culture generally classified as "non-Western art." The regions explored include Western and Central Asia, South and Southeast Asia, China, Japan, Korea, the Pacific, Africa and the Americas. The art historical periods studied range from those of the earliest visual evidence in the regions to the present day. An investigation of "patronage, creation, and use" serves as the comparative theme that threads together the contents' significant breadth. Writing intensive.
ECON 231 1W. European Economic History
4 credits
Wishart, David
Prerequisite: ECON 190S
This course examines the evolution of capitalism in Europe from the Paleolithic period to the present, the impact of European capitalism on economies and societies in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and the Americas, the rise and demise of centrally planned state socialist economies in Russia and the Eastern European countries, and the prospects for European economic integration. The topics presented in this course will emphasize the use of principles of economics to understand historical change and methods of empirical analysis that are commonly used by economic historians. Grades will be determined by two exams, a final, and a 10-15 page term paper. Lecture/discussion format. Writing intensive.
ENGL 180A 3W. “Sailing the Wine Dark Sea: Why the Ancient Greeks Matter”
4 credits
Dixon, Kent H.
Prerequisite: ENGL 101E
The ancient Greeks invented everything from Western warfare to mystical prayer, from logic to statecraft and the city-state. That includes nothing less than Western literature, poetry, drama, philosophy, art, history, and architecture. The Jews gave us our Christian values; the Greeks set the foundation and framework for our intellectual lives, providing the tools we bring to bear on problems in philosophy, math, medicine, physics, and, really, all the sciences.
I am cribbing from the dust jacket of Thomas Cahill’s Sailing the Wine Dark Sea here, and that book will be our guiding text. Following it, we will read Homer’s two great epics, tragedies and comedies by the four great playwrights, a satyr play, a Greek novel, and smatterings of lyric poetry (Sappho), oration (Pericles), history (Herodotus), philosophy (the pre-Socratics as well as Plato and Aristotle), and plastic art. The Greeks also, not to get too dewy about it, gave us militarism, sexism, slavery, total war, disenfranchisement, and segregation (racial and sexual).
If how to rule, then how to fight; if how to think, then how to feel; how to see, how to play, how to party—we got it here first and we will essay it all. The course is writing intensive, with a series of very short papers, a reading log, some creative work, and two exams, a combination of objective and take-home essay. It is not a course in Greek mythology per se, but the literature and drama abound in myth, and the first great thinkers about myth, analysts of myth in effect (mythographers), are—if you’d
venture a guess—Greek.
ENGL 280A 1W. British Survey I
4 credits
Buckman, Ty
Prerequisite: ENGL 170H, or ENGL 180A or ENGL 190A/C
In this survey for English literature from its beginnings to the early eighteenth century, students will be introduced to the writings of a variety of authors working in a variety of genres: sonnet, dramatic comedy, epic poem, essay, novel, and others. In order to impose some structure on a rather diverse body of writings, we will trace several broad themes across these works while attending to, so far as possible in a course of this type, the historical milieux in which these texts were written and read or performed. A reading journal, three papers, a midterm and final. Writing intensive.
ENGL 280A 2W. British Survey I
4 credits
Dixon, Mimi
Prerequisite: ENGL 170, or ENGL 180A or ENGL 190A/C
In this course, we will look at the development of English literature from its beginnings in the Middle Ages to the rise of the novel in the eighteenth century. We will read and discuss representative literary texts and ask a series of important questions: how do these texts grow out of their historical and cultural contexts? How do they build upon, speak to one another? How do they define and redefine the roles of writer and reader? What does a growing literary canon have in constructing what it means to be a British subject, a self, a man, a woman? We will explore as well the way genres-epic and romance, tragedy and comedy, prose fiction-emerge, change, disappear, in response to a changing culture and readership. You should come out of this course with a foundational knowledge of important writers, dates, literary styles, genres, and critical terms that you can build on in more advanced courses. The course will include some periods and a comprehensive final; two or three formal papers and several informal responses to the reading. Writing intensive.
ENGL 331 1W. Shakespeare
4 credits
Dixon, Mimi
Prerequisite: junior status, ENGL 101.
“. . . either for tragedy, comedy, history, pastoral, pastoral-comical, historical-pastoral, tragical-historical, tragical-comical-historical pastoral, scene individable, or poem unlimited.; Seneca cannot be too heavy, nor Plautus too light. Hamlet 2.3
Though Shakespeare himself made fun of categorizing plays into genres (in the voice of the foolish Polonius, above), his own writing falls into a wide range of dramatic kinds. Early in his career Shakespeare wrote mostly histories and comedies, later he wrote the great tragedies, and his last plays return again to comedy, this time deepened by tragic possibilities. In this course we will read a sampling of Shakespeare’s genres, from the beginning, middle, and end of his writing life.
It is always a challenge to make a selection of Shakespeare’s plays for a semester-length course: enough plays to give you an idea of Shakespearean themes, language, and his development as a writer, but not too many, to provide enough time for serious discussion of each play. So inevitably a Shakespeare course is a compromise. You may find that you’ve read many of the plays on the list, but you will also discover that all the plays bear careful re-reading – they are so rich and complex that each engagement with a play will be rewarded with new pleasures and insights. Moreover, you will find that the experience of reading many of Shakespeare’s plays together – putting them in context – changes your understanding of each play. Some of the plays in our list may be new to you – The Winter’s Tale, for example; some will be familiar, like Hamlet. I’ve selected them not only for generic variety, but also because of the connections between plays. For example, Much Ado, Othello, and The Winter’s Tale all tell the same story about falsely accused women and male jealousy, but they do so with very different results. Henry IV, Hamlet, and The Tempest also make an interesting triad, exploring male power and leadership, father-son relations, revenge and forgiveness. I’ve added The Merchant of Venice, a “revenge comedy,” you might say,because it is problematic in many ways (including its genre) and a recent film usefully explores some of these problems. As You Like It and King Lear provide another fruitful pairing of pastoral comedy and anti-pastoral tragedy. Of course I’ve had to leave a number of my favorite plays off our list – Romeo and Juliet, Measure for Measure, Midsummer Night’s Dream, etc. But you are free to select a play of your own for your final research project.
In addition to class discussion and some informal writing, there will be several short formal writing assignments plus the final paper required of all English majors (12-15 pages). Some of you who are Theatre majors may want to opt for an acting or directing project rather than a straight research paper. You will still need to hand in a written analysis explaining your work, but it will be shorter and accompanied by performance or other work. We will decide on all projects individually, in conference. Writing intensive.
HIST 105 C/H 1W. Pre-Modern World History
4 credits
Raffensperger, Christian
Prerequisite: none
Pre-Modern world history is fundamentally about the interconnectivity of the global system. In this class we will discuss kings, emperors, and philosophers from Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas in addition to how the kingdoms and empires of the world interacted during this period. Key topics include the development of empire from Persia to China to Rome, the migrations of steppe peoples from Mongolia into Europe over the course of a thousand years, and the religious interactions (and their sometimes violent conflicts) in Eurasia and Africa that resulted in the spread of Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity. In addition to discussing happenings within various kingdoms and fledgling states of the world, this class, specifically in lecture and discussion, is designed to look at how those kingdoms interacted with one another and what the consequences were—culturally, religiously, and economically. What was gained, and what lost? Writing intensive.
HIST 105 C/H 2W. Pre-Modern World History
4 credits
Brooks Hedstrom, Darlene
Prerequisite: Freshmen only with Supplemental Instruction.
This course considers how in the world ancient history matters in shaping the modern world. We will discard memorization of dates to consider real questions that have historical importance in thinking about the past. We will develop skills in reading, debating and argumentation as we consider issues such as how telling stories about the world reflect core values of society, what medical beliefs about the body tell us about gender roles in the past, what beliefs were foundation to the Islamic empire, how Genghis Khan ushered in the modern age, and to what degree ancient religious beliefs predetermine the political and ethical history of a community. We will read primary sources from period, examine archaeological remains of material culture and read historical fiction as a way to engage with these questions and establish skills in thinking critically about the past. The course is reading and writing intensive. Supplemental Instruction will be available two times a week.
HIST 111 H 1W. Medieval Europe
4 credits
Raffensperger, Christian
Prerequisite: Freshmen only with Supplemental Instruction
The origins of medieval Europe are grounded in the world of Late Antiquity. This class begins with the last of the Western Roman Emperors by surveying the “barbarian” kingdoms that had been created in the fourth and fifth centuries. Essential to understanding Europe is the relationship between East and West. Starting with a dominant Byzantium in the early part of our course, we’ll examine ups and downs in the East/West relationship in the ninth and early twelfth centuries and their antagonistic relationship after 1204 and the sack of Constantinople. Essential to this story are the lives of women and religious minorities, such as Jews, Muslims, and pagans. Those stories will be woven in with the traditional highlights of the Middle Ages, such as Charlemagne’s ascension as Holy Roman Emperor, the Viking raids throughout Europe, the rise of the Normans and the conquest of England, the reform papacy and the Crusades, and the beginning of the Renaissance. Medieval Europe changed drastically over the thousand years studied in this course, and we will attempt to both understand the events and processes that contributed to that change as well as the shape of Europe at the end of our period. Writing intensive.
HIST 161C 1W. Pre-Modern East Asia
4 credits
Maus, Tanya
Prerequisite: none. Supplemental Instruction.
Elegant courtiers and eunuchs, ethical scholars, powerful Buddhist nuns, and impudent commoners were some of many groups that created the fabric of East Asian societies during the pre-modern period. This course looks at how such groups within China, Korea and Japan developed the foundations for powerful states and societies with flourishing economies and rich cultural diversity. In particular, we will focus on the relationship between politics, religion, and culture as sources of East Asian interchange and identity. Students’ work will be evaluated through in-class participation, in-class quizzes, presentations and a variety of written assignments. Writing intensive.
HIST 202H 1W. Luther
4 credits
Taylor, Thomas
Prerequisite: Sophomore Standing
HIST 202 courses introduce students to problems in the interpretation of history (more technically called historiography) and to the writing of historical prose. This version of HIST 202 tackles the extraordinary and complex figure of Martin Luther. The course approaches him as a problem in biography, through readings of some of major biographical interpretations of his life, and as a problem in theology, through readings of his own writings as well as those of modern theologians and scholars. Books will include Roland Bainton, Here I Stand; Erik Erikson, Young Man Luther; Martin Marty, Martin Luther; David C. Steinmetz, Luther in Context; and Mary Lynn Rampolla, A Pocket Guide to Writing History. Students will be assessed on completion of papers, tests, and quizzes. Writing intensive.
HIST 301 1W. Satire, Critique, and Rebellion in Early Modern Japan
4 credits
Maus, Tanya
Prerequisite: One course in History or EAS 100 or permission of instructor.
Can a samurai exchanging the sword for a pen serve as a metaphor for social change? How did various groups of commoners, peasants, and outcastes in early modern Japan find their political voices? This course examines popular dissent in early modern Japan (1600 to 1868) through samurai critiques of the government and society, popular art such as ukiyoe (Japanese woodblock prints), literary genres such as gesaku (satirical stories), as well as peasant rebellions. Students’ work will be evaluated through written assignments, in-class presentations and focused discussion. Writing intensive.
HIST 303 1.1W. Ancient Historians: Herodotus
2 credits
Brooks Hedstrom, Darlene
Prerequisite: One course in history or permission of instructor.
Class meets first half of the semester.
Herodotus and Thucydides. They are the first fathers of history and yet, Herodotus has been sometimes regarded as a liar rather than a defender of the facts. By reading selections of Herodotus’s Histories we will investigate the Persian Wars with the Greeks, his view of Scythians nomads, and Book II, which is one of the early portraits of ancient Egypt by an historian. Through examining archaeological and textual remains, we will explore the question of whether Herodotus was the Father of History or the Father of Lies. This 2-credit course will be writing intensive. There will be writing exercises dedicated to interpreting source materials in both textual and archaeological forms. Substantial reading in primary sources and secondary literature will be required.
HIST 303 1.2W. Ancient Historians: Arrian and Plutarch
2 credits
Brooks Hedstrom, Darlene
Prerequisite: One course in history or permission of instructor.
Class meets second half of the semester
Biographies of Alexander the Great were written by his generals, but only fragments remain in later Roman biographies of the young Macedonian conqueror. This 2-credit course will examine the textual evidence for Alexander the Great, why Arrian is considered his most successful biographer, and how Plutarch’s reserved history compares with other Roman historians. We will also read two modern biographies of Alexander to consider the historiography that shapes the study of Hellenism. The course is writing intensive. There will be writing exercises dedicated to interpreting source materials in both textual and archaeological forms. Substantial reading in primary sources and secondary literature will be required.
MUSI 301H 1W. History of Western Music to 1750
4 credits
Faber, Trudy
Prerequisite: ENGL 101E
See Music Department for description.
PHIL 310 1W. Ancient & Medieval Philosophy
4 credits
Reed, Don
Prerequisite: One prior course in PHIL or permission.
This course is an introduction to the historical method of philosophical reflection and an introduction to the philosophers of a particular period and a particular tradition (ancient Greek to medieval European). As part of the first goal, we will observe the historical nature of philosophical thinking, i.e., the way it develops historically, not by accident but by its very nature. We will trace one tradition of answers to questions variously answered by four particular notions (which themselves are reformulated over and over again): (1) the notion that abstractions (like geometrical figures and the periodic table of elements) are the true objects of knowledge, (2) the notion that it is sometimes very difficult if not impossible to do what you know is good and not to do what you know is bad, (3) the notion that to be real and to be excellent are the same, i.e., that being and goodness are identical, and (4) the notion that the soul is immortal and lives on after the body decays and ceases. Students will take a mid-term and a final exam and write four papers. Writing intensive.
POLI 211R 01. Ancient and Medieval Political Philosophy
4 credits
Wright, Heather Hadar
Prerequisite: none
This is a challenging and thought-provoking course which explores the history of political philosophy from ancient Greek drama to medieval thought through a combination of primary textual analysis and interpretive commentary. What is political philosophy? Simply put, it is the quest for knowledge about the nature of politics. Ancient and medieval political philosophers sought knowledge about many of our most compelling and vital human questions. What is the nature of human beings? What is nature itself? What is justice? How can we begin to understand power? What is the good life for human beings? What is the best form of political rule? What is the proper relationship of philosophy to politics? On what basis might we construct our ethical life? Are men and women different, and if so, how might this impact the political? Not surprisingly, political philosophers have thought and continue to think very differently about these topics. Evaluation will be based on several short essays, two examinations, and class preparation and participation.
RELI 134R/C 01. Chinese & Japanese Religious Traditions
4 credits
Oldstone-Moore, Jennifer
Prerequisite : none. Supplemental Instruction.
This course examines several religious traditions which have shaped East Asian civilizations. We will study the formal traditions of Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Shinto and the New Religions; we will also consider the popular religious traditions of China and Japan. Classes include both lecture and discussion; students will be evaluated through essay exams, short papers and analysis of scripture and other texts.
RELI 137 R 1W. Jewish Tradition in Historical Context
4 credits
Millen, Rochelle
Prerequisite: none
This course introduces the student to the Jewish tradition, beginning with its development in the biblical and early rabbinic periods. It focuses upon the general history of Judaism as well as its basic concepts, including readings in primary and secondary texts and discussions of the Jewish calendar and life-cycle events. Writing intensive. Required: three-four exams.
RELI 221 R 1W. Understanding the Old Testament
4 credits
Kaiser, Barbara
Prerequisite: none
This course is designed especially for religion majors, pre-theological students, and others with a serious interest in biblical studies. We will attempt to place the Old Testament literature in its historical context, understand the theological perspectives which shape the texts, develop methods of interpretation, and simply appreciate the artistry and inspiration of the Old Testament literature. Class sessions have lecture/discussion format. Students will take three exams and write a paper. Writing intensive.
RELI 222 R 1W. Understanding the New Testament
4 credits
Kaiser, Barbara
Prerequisites: none, but Religion 221 (OT) recommended.
This course is designed for religion majors, pre-theological students and other serious students of religion. Throughout the term we will attempt to understand the historical context of the New Testament literature, discover the religious perspectives which shape the New Testament texts and appreciate the richness of the New Testament writings. Students will be required to read the New Testament and some non-canonical texts, write a paper and take three exams. The class has a lecture/discussion format. Writing intensive.
RELI 241 R 01. Christian Tradition
4 credits
Nelson, Paul
Prerequisite: none
Historical survey of the development of Christian thought and doctrine in the West. Students will be introduced to the work of major theologians (classical and modern) and to issues of perennial debate such as the tensions between reason and revelation, the humanity and divinity of Christ, nature and grace, justification and sanctification, spirit and structure, and differences between Roman Catholic and Protestant doctrine. Lecture/discussion format. Midterm and final examinations. No prerequisite though students should be aware that the course requires careful reading of primary texts, many of which are quite challenging.
RELIG 324 R 1W. Apocalyptic Vision in Ancient and Modern Literature
4 credits
Kaiser, Barbara
Prerequisite: one previous biblical course.
We will begin the semester with an analysis of ancient Jewish apocalyptic tests – Daniel, Enoch, and 2 Esdras. Historical context and literary style of the Jewish texts will be the focus of our attention. Second, we will consider apocalyptic literature of two sectarian groups, the Essenes and Christians. During this part of the quarter we will read the War Rule from Qumran and Revelation and examine and respond to modern interpretations of the latter, such as views of the Branch Davidians of Waco. Finally, we will consider apocalyptic aspects of English literature by examining such texts as poems of William Blake, Nathaniel West’s Day of the Locust and selected novels chosen by participants. Students will be responsible for a research paper and several short presentations (theodicy debate, imaging ultimate states of good and evil, reporting on newspaper and magazine articles, etc.). The class is conducted as a seminar with discussion, frequent student presentations, occasional lectures. Writing intensive.
PAST 400 1W. Capstone Seminar
2 credits
Brooks Hedstrom, Darlene
Prerequisite: Must be a junior or senior Pre-Modern and Ancient Studies minor and have completed twelve hours of the PAST minor.
Capstone course in which the junior or senior Pre-Modern and Ancient World Studies minor integrates the major strands of Pre-Modern and Ancient World history, culture, religion and philosophy, and literature around a specified theme and writes an extensive research paper. Writing intensive.
