ART 110H 01. Art History I
4.00 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.
ECON 320 1W. History of Economic Thought
4.00 credits
Wishart, David
Prerequisites: ECON 190S or equivalent.
This course critically examines the work of economic thinkers from ancient China through the early 20th century. The goal of this course is to both enable students to understand how the environment economic thinkers lived in influenced their analysis and to appreciate how economic thought has been refined and improved through the ages. The centerpiece of the course will continue to be a detailed textual analysis of Adam Smith’s classic work, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. Readings will focus on original texts as much as possible throughout the course. Students will be expected to write a 10-15 page paper, write midterm and final exams, and participate actively in class discussions. The format for the course is lecture-discussion. Writing intensive.
ENGL 180A 2W. “How Like a God”: Myth, Epic, and Metamorphosis
4.00 credits
Smith, Fit
Prerequisite: ENGL 101E . Note: This section not available for Senior English Majors.
This course will introduce the student to the work of Greco-Roman myth. With intensive readings of The Iliad, The Odyssey, The Aeneid, and The Metamorphoses, this course not only will consider the various stories and ideas that myths construct and entail, but also will work to question the more modern myths by which we live today. As a writing intensive section, this course will require a daily reading journal, several short essays, two examinations, and a final analytical paper. The course will emphasize student engagement with the readings and ideas, so class sessions will entail lecture but rely heavily upon class participation. The student will leave this course with a familiarity with the dominant myths of the ancients, as well as a broadened understanding of those myths by which we live—myths more naively known as reality. Writing intensive.
ENGL 180A 3W. “How Like a God”: Myth, Epic, and Metamorphosis
4.00 credits
Smith, Fit
Prerequisite: ENGL 101E .
Please see ENGL 180A 2W “How Like a God”: Myth, Epic, and Metamorphosis description above.
ENGL 280A 1W. British Survey I
4.00 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.
HIST 101H 1W. Life, Love and War in the Middle Ages
4.00 credits
Livingstone, Amy
Prerequisite: Freshmen Section only. Supplemental Instruction available.
What was it like to live, love and die in the Middle Ages? This course will examine the lives of famous medieval people, like Charlemagne and Eleanor of Aquitaine, but also those whose experiences are not as well known – such as peasants, Jews, heretics, women and children. The lives of these people will be brought to life through modern novels but also the medieval accounts of their lives. By coming to appreciate the lives of medieval people, the larger political, economic, cultural and social developments that shaped the medieval period will be brought to life. Course assessment will consist of essay exams, papers, quizzes, presentations and class participation. Writing intensive.
HIST 105C 1W. Pre Modern World
4.00 credits
Brooks Hedstrom, Darlene
Prerequisite: First and Second Year Students only. Supplemental Instruction available.
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. Reading and writing intensive.
HIST 105H 1W. Pre Modern World
4.00 credits
Brooks Hedstrom, Darlene
Prerequisite: First and Second Year Students only. Supplemental Instruction available.
Please see HIST 105C 1W Pre Modern World description above.
HIST 111 H 1W. Medieval Europe
4.00 credits
Raffensperger, Chris
Prerequisite: none.
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 171C 1W. African Societies to 1500
4.00 credits
Rosenberg, Scott
Prerequisite: none
This class will cover the major themes and issues of African history before the arrival of Europeans and the Atlantic Slave Trade. Topics will range from the African roots of human society to placing ancient Egypt within African history. We will also examine the role of Islam in Africa. In particular, this class will explore the role of oral traditions and A myth @ in African societies and will attempt to ascertain their usefulness as historical documents. Additionally, in our examination of these societies we will focus on the roles of trade, environment, and religion in African political and social systems. Writing intensive.
HIST 202H 1W. Luther
4.00 credits
Taylor, Tom
Prerequisite: ENGL 101E. 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 Martin Marty, Martin Luther; Steven Ozment, Protestants: Birth of a Revolution; Richard Marius, A Short Guide to Writing about History; John Dillenberger, Martin Luther: Selections from His Writings, and others. Papers and tests and quizzes. Writing intensive.
HIST 202H 2W. Children of the Past
4.00 credits
Livingstone, Amy
Prerequisite: ENGL 101E. Sophomore standing.
What was it like growing up in the past? Did pre modern people have a “childhood?” Historians have recently turned their attention to investigating the private lives of medieval and early modern people. In this class we will explore what historians have uncovered about growing up in the past. We will examine the experiences of children in medieval London and Florence, Reformation Germany and sixteenth-century France. This course will also examine how historians “do” history. What methods, theories, philosophies inform how historians have approached examining the history of childhood? What are the issues that confront historians in regard to the use of primary sources and historiographic traditions? Should historians be objective? Can they be objective? Each of those questions is fundamental to the task, vocation and obligation of the historian. To address such issues, students will read, analyze and critique primary sources. The “history” of historical interpretation, or historiography, will also be explored through a series of monographs and articles. Students will write several short analytical essays, as well as a longer historiographical paper, and participate in discussion and debate. Writing intensive.
HIST 203H 2W. Conversions in Medieval Europe
4. 00 credits
Raffensperger, Chris
Prerequisites: ENGL 101E. Sophomore standing.
Conversion is a tremendously important process, not only spiritually, but also historically. The type of conversion examined in this class will be “political conversion,” which is both a religious and a political experience. As Christianity spread throughout medieval Europe, people and political entities encountered Christianity, the Christian Church, and its Roman legacy in their own ways. This class will deal with that interaction and examine the process of conversion, the experience of conversion, and the ramifications of conversion. This examination will serve as a laboratory for the study of history, and specifically our sources and our relationship with them. It will also serve as the background for the main purpose of this class, which is to teach students the basic skills in researching and writing a history paper. As a result, class time will be divided between a study of medieval conversion and a discussion of writing skills and research techniques. The ultimate goal of the class and the main component of your grade will be the creation of a piece of historical research relevant to medieval conversion. Leading up to that will be completion of all of the relevant portions of the paper, including a proposal, outline, bibliography, and multiple revisions. Writing intensive.
HIST 251C 1W. The History of Russia to 1796
4.00 credits
Raffensperger, Chris
Prerequisite: none.
Russia occupies a unique position between Europe and Asia. This class will explore the creation of the Russian state, leading into the modern period. We will begin with the exploration and settlement of the Vikings in Eastern Europe, which began the genesis of the state known as “Rus’.” That European state soon encountered threats from Asia when the Mongols invaded in the thirteenth century. The Mongol invasions changed Russian history and contributed to the “othering” of Russia which has continued to the present day. It also created a situation which leads to the creation of Tsars, Russian emperors who come to dominate their European and Asian territory, eventually leading to the creation of a multi-ethnic empire under Tsar Ivan IV. Ivan’s spiritual heirs Peter and Catherine are where we will end the class. The two “greats” dominate the eighteenth century in Russian politics and have a huge impact on the international political scene, changing Russia from the inside out. Writing intensive
HIST 301 1W. Satire, Critique, and Rebellion in Early Modern Japan
4.00 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 312 1W. From King Arthur to King Edward I: England in the Middle Ages
4.00 credits
Livingstone, Amy
Prerequisite: One course in History or permission of instructor.
The history of medieval England from the Anglo-Saxons through the Plantagenets is full of compelling historical personalities who left a lasting imprint on England and medieval Europe. This course will focus on some of the famous or infamous personages of that time, such as Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, as well as some of the heroic kings, like William the Conqueror and Edward I, and the mythic figures of King Arthur and Robin Hood. In addition to these well-known historical personages, the lives of less extraordinary including medieval peasants, merchants and monks, will also be explored. In addition to exposing students to the rich history of medieval England, another learning objective for this course is to develop students’ appreciation for the complexities of historical study by having them read primary sources and the often-conflicting interpretations of medieval scholars. Students will write several short response papers, two source analyses (one of a primary source, one of a historiographical debate) and will produce a major research paper on the topic of their choice, which they will present to the class. Writing Intensive.
Prerequisite: none
Notes: Latin courses DO NOT COUNT toward the fulfillment of the Language Competency requirement at Wittenberg and may not be used to meet the General Education requirement in Languages. Latin may, however, be used as anelective credit and may count toward the Pre-Modern and Ancient World minor.
Grammar, exercises and selected readings in classical Latin and discussion of Roman culture.
MUSI 301H 1W. History of Western Music to 1750
4.00 credits
Siek, Stephen
Prerequisite: ENGL 101E.
An historical survey of Western art music from Antiquity through the Baroque period, which views repertoire both from the standpoint of theory and literature. Medieval composers include the Notre Dame School, Landini, and Machaut, while the Burgundians, Josquin, Palestrina, and the Italian and English madrigalists are among the Renaissance composers emphasized. The background and historical context of opera and instrumental music will be examined in the Baroque period, along with the works of Vivaldi, Telemann, Handel, and Bach. The course includes a midterm, a final, and a paper. The text is A History of Western Music by Burkholder/Grout/Palisca, 8th ed. (W. W. Norton, 2009). Required for music majors. Writing intensive.
PAST 400 01. Capstone Seminar
2.00 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.
PHIL 310 1W. Ancient and Medieval Philosophy
4.00 credits
Martinez-Saenz, Miguel
Prerequisite: One prior course in PHIL or permission of instructor.
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 & Medieval Political Philosophy
4.00 credits
Staff
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.
RELI 134C 01. Chinese and Japanese Religious Traditions
4.00 credits
Oldstone-Moore, Jennifer
Prerequisite: none. Supplemental Instruction available.
This course examines several religious traditions which have shapes 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 projects, and analysis of scripture and other texts.
RELI 134R 01. Chinese and Japanese Religious Traditions
4.00 credits
Oldstone-Moore, Jennifer
Prerequisite: none. Supplemental Instruction available.
Please see RELI 134C 01 Chinese and Japanese Religious Traditions description above.
RELI 137R 01. Jewish Tradition in Historical Context
4.00 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. Required: three-four exams.
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 222R 1W. Understanding the New Testament
4.00 credits
Kaiser, Barbara
Prerequisite: none, but RELI 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 321 1W. Biblical & Modern Prophets
4.00 credits
Kaiser, Barbara
Prerequisite: one college course in biblical studies.
In this seminar students will investigate the historical setting, rhetorical techniques, messages, and continuing relevance of biblical prophets from Amos of Tekoa to John of Patmos. Students will also consider the possibility of prophetic voices in contemporary society. In this upper–level seminar, participants will frequently offer short presentations and papers, complete a research paper, write an essay on a modern prophet, and take one or two exams. Writing intensive.
RELI 339C 1W. Monkeys, Samurai and Gods: Religion and the Literature of China & Japan
4.00 credits
Oldstone-Moore, Jennifer
Prerequisite: none.
This seminar will look at religious meaning and message in some of the best loved literature of China and Japan, including Journey to the West, Tale of Heike, Dream of the Red Chamber, and Hojoki. These texts show Japanese and Chinese understanding and application of Buddhism, Confucianism, Shinto and Religious Daoism in a variety of ways. Some of the texts are contemplative and philosophical; others are bawdy and outrageous; still others tell tales of human bravery and pathos; all of them reflect the religious sensibilities of the time and place in which they were written. In this class we will work first to understand the background history and culture of each work, and then look closely at the work itself to see how the cultural and religious themes are articulated. Writing intensive.
RELI 339R 1W. Monkeys, Samurai and Gods: Religion and the Literature of China & Japan
4.00 credits
Oldstone-Moore, Jennifer
Prerequisite: none.
Please see RELI 339C 1W. Monkeys, Samurai and Gods: Religion and the Literature of China & Japan description above.
SPAN 350H 01. Spanish Peninsular Civilization
4.00 credits
McIntyre, Chris
Prerequisite: Eight semester hours at the 200 level including SPAN 264 and SPAN265.
Cultural survey of Spain from its earliest history to the present with an emphasis on contemporary Peninsular culture. Lectures and discussions are supplemented by readings as well as presentations that reflect the history and development of Spanish civilization.
