Medieval Studies

Program Coordinator: Christina von Nolcken, G-B 331, 702-7977
Secretary: Judy Mendoza, G-B 324, 702-8536

Program of Study

The Committee on Medieval Studies offers two options to undergraduates desiring to use the resources of the University for concentrated studies in the medieval period. Students may elect either to enter a Bachelor of Arts program in medieval studies or to pursue medieval studies in conjunction with another program through the judicious selection of courses.

Program Requirements

The purpose of the B.A. program with concentration in medieval studies is to allow students to become acquainted with a broad range of medieval materials from a variety of perspectives (historical, literary, artistic, theological, etc.) as a preparation for writing a B.A. paper on some aspect of medieval civilization. Students pursue the investigation of the Middle Ages through studies in historical, literary, and adjunct areas. A total of eleven courses is required, including at least three courses basically historical in nature, three courses of linguistic character, and two courses in other disciplines (e.g., art, music, philosophy, and theology). Each student should determine these courses in consultation with the adviser assigned by the program.

Students concentrating in medieval studies are expected to demonstrate competence in reading one language in which a significant body of medieval source material exists. Such competence is demonstrated primarily through the language courses and through the use of source materials in the B.A. paper. Latin is strongly urged for those working in western materials, but other options, particularly for students interested in Byzantine, Jewish, or Muslim culture, are available. Students should consult the adviser regarding the three-course language requirement, which is to be used both for acquiring language skills, if necessary, beyond the Common Core requirement and for pursuing the reading of medieval texts.

The program also requires all concentrators to participate in a one-quarter reading and research course with a member of the committee who has agreed to advise them in planning and writing the B.A. paper; students should register for a reading course in this committee member's department. Their completed paper will ordinarily be read by at least two members of the committee representing different academic departments.

Students who wish to pursue medieval studies in conjunction with another program of study should choose their courses in consultation with the program coordinator.

Summary of Requirements

3	courses in historical studies
3	language studies
2	adjunct areas
3	electives
1	reading and research course
-	B.A. Paper
12

Grading. Except for courses taught within the New Collegiate Division, there is no P/N or P/F grading in this concentration.

Honors. Consideration for honors is individually arranged with the program coordinator. For candidacy, a student must have completed a B.A. paper of the highest quality, and have a grade point average of at least 3.0 overall and at least 3.25 within the concentration.

Faculty

MICHAEL I. ALLEN, Assistant Professor, Department of Classical Languages & Literatures, and the College

DAVID BEVINGTON, Phyllis Fay Horton Professor in the Humanities; Professor, Departments of English Language & Literature and Comparative Literature, and the College

MICHAEL CAMILLE, Professor, Department of Art History and the College

PAOLO A. CHERCHI, Professor, Department of Romance Languages & Literatures and the College

ROBERT DANKOFF, Professor, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations and the College

ARNOLD DAVIDSON, Professor, Department of Philosophy, and the College

FRED M. DONNER, Associate Professor, Oriental Institute, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations, and the College

KATHRYN DUYS, Assistant Professor, Department of Romance Languages & Literatures and the College

CONSTANTIN FASOLT, Associate Professor, Department of History and the College

RACHEL FULTON, Assistant Professor, Department of History and the College

NORMAN GOLB, Ludwig Rosenberger Professor, Oriental Institute, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations, and the College

CHARLES M. GRAY, Professor, Department of History and the College; Lecturer, the Law School

RICHARD HELLIE, Professor, Department of History and the College; Chairman, Russian Civilization Program in the College

NORMAN W. INGHAM, Professor, Department of Slavic Languages & Literatures; Director, Center for East European and Russian/Eurasian Studies

SAMUEL P. JAFFE, Professor, Department of Germanic Studies and the College

WADAD KADI, Professor, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations

WALTER E. KAEGI, Professor, Department of History, Division of the Humanities, and the College

ROBERT KENDRICK, Associate Professor, Department of Music and the College

JULIUS KIRSHNER, Professor, Department of History and the College

JOEL KRAEMER, Professor, the Divinity School

RALPH LERNER, Professor, Committee on Social Thought and the College

BERNARD MCGINN, Professor, the Divinity School and Committee on General Studies in the Humanities; Program Coordinator, Institute for the Advanced Study of Religion

MARK MILLER, Assistant Professor, Department of English Language & Literature, and the College

MICHAEL J. MURRIN, Professor, Departments of English Language & Literature and Comparative Literature, the Divinity School, and the College

ROBERT S. NELSON, Professor, Department of Art History and the College

ANNE WALTERS ROBERTSON, Associate Professor, Department of Music and the College

JAY SCHLEUSENER, Associate Professor, Department of English Language & Literature and the College

LINDA SEIDEL, Professor, Department of Art History and the College

JOSEF STERN, Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, Committee on General Studies in the Humanities, and the College

NOEL M. SWERDLOW, Professor, Departments of Astronomy & Astrophysics and History, Committee on the Conceptual Foundations of Science, and the College

CHRISTINA VON NOLCKEN, Associate Professor, Department of English Language & Literature and the College

ELISSA WEAVER, Professor, Department of Romance Languages & Literatures and the College

DONALD WHITCOMB, Associate Professor, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations

JOHN E. WOODS, Professor, Department of History and Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations and the College

Courses

Historical Studies

History

Hist 205/305-206/306. History of Political Thought: 400 to 1700 I, II. C. Fasolt. Autumn, Winter.

Hist 238/338. Byzantine Empire 330 to 610. W. Kaegi. Autumn.

Hist 239/339. Byzantine Empire 610 to 1025. W. Kaegi. Winter.

Hist 242/342. Byzantium and the Arabs. W. Kaegi. Winter.

History of Religion and Religious Studies

DivHC 202/626. Religion and Society in the Middle Ages. L. Pick. Winter.

DivHC 215/626. Survey of Medieval Jewish History. W. Johnson. Autumn.

DivHC 313/626. Pilgrimage. L. Pick. Winter.

DivHC 416/626. Christian-Jewish Confrontation after 1000. L. Pick, W. Johnson. Spring.

DivHJ 320. Judah Halevi's Kuzari: The Continuity of the Platonic Tradition in Islamic Civilization. J. Kramer. Winter.

DivHJ 348. Maimonides's The Guide for the Perplexed. J. Kramer. Autumn.

DivHJ 453. Judaeo-Arabic Texts. J. Kramer. Spring.

DivHJ 508/625. Critical Issues in the Study of Medieval Jews. W. Johnson. Winter.

DivTh 301. History of Christian Thought I. B. McGinn. Winter.

GS Hum 271/371. Judaic Civilization II: Rabbinic Judaism from the Mishnah to Maimonides (=Hum 201, JewStd 201). J. Stern. Winter.

Near Eastern History

NEArch 203. Introduction to Islamic Archaeology. D. Whitcomb. Spring.

NEHist 360-361. The High Caliphate. F. Donner. Autumn, Winter.

Language Studies

Classical Languages and Literatures

Latin 261/361. Latin Palaeography II: A.D. 1000 to 1500. M. Allen. Winter.

Latin 277/377. Medieval Latin Literature. M. Allen. Autumn.

English

Eng 149/349. Old English (=German 310). C. von Nolcken. Autumn.

Eng 150/350. Old English Poetry. C. von Nolcken. Winter.

Eng 151/351. Alfred, 1100. P. Szarmach. Winter.

Eng 155. Chaucer: The Canterbury Tales. C. von Nolcken. Winter.

Germanic Studies

German 399. Arts of Love and Books of Marriage from Sappho and Solomon to Freud and Lou. S. Jaffe. Winter.

Romance Languages and Literatures

French 220. Poets and Players in the Middle Ages. K. Duys. Winter.

Ital 207. Letteratura italiana dal Duecento al Quattrocento. F. Nasi. Autumn.

Ital 219-220/319-320. Divina commedia: I, II. R. West. Autumn, Winter.

Adjunct Areas

Art History

ArtH 150. Art of the West: The Ancient and Medieval World. L. Seidel. Autumn.

ArtH 209/309. Late Antique and Early Christian Art, ca. 300 to 700. R. Nelson. Autumn.

ArtH 218/318. Monstrosity in Medieval Art. M. Camille. Spring.

ArtH 220/320. Maidens and Martyrs. L. Seidel. Autumn.

ArtH 223/323. The First Crusade. L. Seidel. Spring.

Philosophy

Philos 360. Medieval Philosophy. J. Stern. Winter.