ART 243H 1W - Western Medieval Art
4 credit hours
Gimenez-Berger, Alejandra - Koch Hall
Prerequisites: Art 110H or Art 120H.
Covers the art and architecture produced from the decline of the Roman Empire through the Gothic period in Western Europe. Hiberno-Saxon, Carolingian, Ottonian, Romanesque and Gothic art will be covered chronologically and by region in Europe. Emphasis will be given to the historical context that informed the Middle Ages. This class allows students to complete a Cultures and Languages Across the Curriculum Module (CLAC) for an additional credit. You will find more information on the CLAC program in the Language Department's course descriptions.
ENGL 280 - British Survey I
4 semester hours
Buckman, Ty
Prerequisite: ENGL 170H, 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 105 C/H 1W. Pre-Modern World History
4.00 credits
Raffensperger, Christian
Prerequisite: none. Supplemental Instruction available.
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. This course counts toward the PAST minor.
HIST 105 C/H 2W. Pre-Modern World History
4.00 credits
Brooks Hedstrom, Darlene
Prerequisite: none. FRESHMEN 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 111H 01. Medieval Europe
4.00 credits
Livingstone, Amy
Prerequisite: none. Students who have earned credit for HIST 101H Life, Love and War in the Middle Ages may not earn credit for this class.Supplemental Instruction available.
Knights in shining armor, peasants toiling in the fields, damsels in distress, castles, cathedrals, crusades….these are some of the enduring images of the medieval world. This course will explore the social, cultural, and economic changes that made up the dynamic period we call the middle ages. Through lectures, discussion, films, debates and readings, the important developments, accomplishments and failings of the medieval centuries will be brought to life. Students will write thematic and analytical essays examining a particular topic or source of medieval history.This course counts toward the PAST minor.
HIST 161C 1W. Pre-Modern East Asia
4.00 Credits
Maus, Tanya
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 inter-relationship of 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. This course is Writing Intensive and may be taken for a C credit.
HIST 203H 1W.Historian's Craft: Medieval Conversions in 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.This course counts toward the PAST minor. Writing intensive.
HIST 240H 1W. Topic: Medieval Eastern Europe
4.00 credits
Raffensperger, Chris
Prerequisite: none.
This class will deal with a different medieval Europe than is traditionally covered - the medieval Slavic world. The East, West, and South Slavs were involved to differing degrees in Western European affairs, but they had their own kingdoms, empires, wars, marriages, cities, etc. It is this Slavic world that will be examined in this class, particularly in the period from the ninth through the fifteenth centuries. During that time we will see pan-European interaction, transition to regionalism, and eventually into an early East-West divide based in three factors: religious division, Mongol occupation or control, and internal cohesion (or lack thereof). The history of medieval Eastern Europe, is a key part of wider European history that sets up the divisions into the more familiar Eastern and Western European worlds. Writing intensive. This course counts toward the PAST minor.
HIST 390 1W.Reading Colloquium: Martyred Bodies in Late Antiquity
4.00 credits
Brooks-Hedstrom, Darlene
Prerequisite: HIST 202C/H or Permission of instructor.
Some thought of the ascetics as trained athletes who regulated their diet and daily indulgence, others thought of them as holy fools who were mad for God, and still others regarded them as intellectuals who recognized that the body held no meaning in this life. Martyred Bodies in Late Antiquity will explore the ascetic imperative that existed in the late centuries of Antiquity as the Mediterranean world moved from the practice of Hellenistic religions to the practice of Christianity. Various communities to be studied will include the Neo-Platonists, the Gnostics, the early Church Fathers and Christian monastics. The course will include a research component that explores the theme of the body within one or more of these traditions and the historiographic issues of studying late antique history. The members of the class will be prepared for weekly discussions and presentations of material. Since the class meets once a week, student participation will be a central component of the course as we discuss the sources associated with asceticism and the intellectual traditions of the late antique period. As a class, we will visit one Christian ascetic community in the Miami Valley to explore how ideas from Late Antiquity shape the religious life and history of monks and nuns today. Writing intensive. This course counts toward the PAST minor. This course may be taken for credit in Women's Studies.
RELI 121 R Art of Biblical Literature
(4 semester hours)
Kaiser, Barbara
Pre-requisite: None
This course is intended to help readers appreciate the artistry of biblical prose and poetry. We will examine texts from the Old and New Testaments and Apocrypha, paying special attention to plot structure, word-plays, imagery, repetition, characterization, themes, parallelism and aetiology. Throughout the term, we will consider reinterpretations of biblical literature in the music, literature, and film of our own culture. Class sessions have a lecture/discussion format. There will be three or four exams and regular written responses to readings.
Religion 221 R - Understanding the Old Testament
(4 semester hours)
Kaiser, Barbara
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. No prerequisites.
Religion 222 R - Understanding the New Testament
(4 semester hours)
Kaiser
No prerequisites, 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 Christian Tradition
(4 semester hours)
Nelson, Paul
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, church and state, 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.
Optional Course Component: Cultures and Language Across the Curriculum
Interested in using your foreign language skills to earn extra credit connected to this course and to learn more about the subject matter of this course at the same time? If so, register for the CLAC components offered here. You don't need to be fluent in the language to exercise this option. In fact, you need only to have completed two credits beyond 112 or to be currently enrolled in a course beyond 112. Your work will be guided by your professor and by faculty from the Languages Department. The CLAC module is designed for intermediate level language learners.
Students who select the CLAC option will complete work in a foreign language that will supplement the work in this course. Students who complete the CLAC assignments successfully will earn 1 credit for the CLAC component.
To register for the CLAC component, you must also register for a one-credit LANG 230 CLAC module listed among the Language Department's offerings. Meeting times and location will be arranged at the beginning of the semester. Credit for CLAC modules may be counted toward the requirements for International Studies and as elective credit in the Language department.
THDN 260H 01History of European Theatre
4 Semester Hours
Reynolds, Steve
Prerequisite: None
Beginning with the Greeks, this course will provide an overview of the history of European Theatre. It will consider the dramatic literature, theories and practices of theatre during the great ages of western theatre. During the semester we will look at the evolution of acting, directing, playwriting, theatre design, and theatre architecture. Throughout the course we will study the relationship between theatre and society. Course requirements include exams and a research project.
