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Course Schedule.[Before printing off a copy of this Course Schedule, be sure to read the tips on Using the Course Schedule.]
Course Schedule -- Part 1
| Note: The assignments here are provisional. In the course of the semester it may be necessary or advisable to introduce changes in either assignments or due dates or both. Such changes will be announced in class, through e-mail, and/or by the Message of the Day on the website at K-State Online. Students at any university should make it a habit to check their e-mail at least once a day. As changes are announced, they will be worked into this Course Schedule as well. |
| Also: Unless otherwise noted, assignments are expected to be completed before class on the dates specified. Come to class prepared to discuss the assigned reading. If you are doing a writing assignment, you should submit it at the beginning of class on the date it is due, so that it can be incorporated into discussion. It is a good idea to write down at least one question reading the assignment left you with, and to bring it with you to class. Don't forget to visit the Message Board at least twice a week. This is a place for reactions to readings (questions, comments), and for exchange of ideas. |
| Page references to texts are to the texts officially ordered for our course, which are available at Claflin Books and Copies. You are welcome to use other editions, but you will need to consult with a fellow student to convert the page references given here into the ones corresponding to the edition of your choice. The abbreviation WH refers to Matthews and Platt, The Western Humanities (2nd Ed., 3rd Ed., or 4th Ed.) So, in our first reading assignment from this book, the notation WH (2:166-67;3:161-3;4:175-7) means that if you have the 4th Edition, begin reading on page 175, but if you have the third, you start on p. 161, and if you are working with the 2nd, you begin on p. 166. When you print out this schedule for your notebook, you should go through and highlight the page references for the particular edition you are using. |
17 Jan (F): Introduction to the course: scope, theme, organization, grades, etc.
The first third of the course will cover the conflict between the Protestant Reformation and the Catholic Counter-Reformation. We begin by getting acquainted with the shared world-view within which this conflict arose -- a perspective that extends back to the age of Saint Augustine (d. 430), near the end of the Roman Empire (or the beginning of the European "Middle Ages").. Our window into this world-view will be what we shall call "the traditional Christian picture of history." We see how the baroque style in art arose as an expression of the triumphalist phase of the Counter-Reformation. Our focus will be on "Roman ecclesiastical baroque art," which emerged at the very end of the 16th Century and flourished during the first half of the 17th Century.
20 Jan (M): No class: University Holiday.
22 (W): Study the following to see what we are in for in the course of the semester. Notice that in succession, these documents move from the more general to the more specific.
24 Jan (F): How the "problem of evil" generates "theodicy"; how theories of providence (divine plan) entail a special type of picture of history.
(1) Work your way carefully through the "Outline of the Structure of the Problem of Evil" and our article on "The General Concept of Theodicy". Try to get clear on the relationships among the various propositions (elements) of this problem. Bring both documents with you to class.
(2) Work through the Biblical account (Genesis 1-4:16) of the Creation and Fall of Mankind. After your first reading, work through the Study Guide to this passage, as you read it carefully through a couple more times. (There is also a more extensive Study Guide on this reading that you will want to consult in the days to come, as you are re-reading and pondering this crucial Biblical narrative.)
27 Jan (M): We will continue to develop a reading of the Biblical Creation and Fall narrative that reflects how Saint Augustine understood it. Meanwhile you will need to get acquainted with Augustine and the sources of his comprehensive picture of history.
(1) Read about Saint Augustine (354-430 CE) in WH (2:166-67;3:161-3;4:175-7). Recommended, but not required, are the following additional readings in Matthews and Platt:
(1a) Where did the Hebrew Bible (which Christians call the New Testament) come from? Note that this turns out to split into three distinct questions: (i) What, according to the oral tradition itself, was the origin of the oral narratives that eventually ended up being written down? (ii) When did these oral narratives come to be written down -- i.e., when did they first acquire the status of Scirpture? Finally, (iii) when did the various writings that circulated in religious practice get selected into a definite and settled canon? See "Moses" (WH: 2:136-37;3:132-33;4:146-47) and "The Bible" (WH: 2 :140-45: 3:138-40;4:152-54:).
(1b) St. Augustine lived at a time of great crisis in the Roman Empire, as the empire was disintegrating, on its way to its ultimate fall. At the same time, Christians' relationship to the political authority of the Empire was undergoing complex changes. Augustine's theology is should be understood as a response to this political and cultural crisis. You can read about it in WH (2:163-64, 178;3:155-61,174-5;4:173-74,186-87).
(2) WH (2:135-40; 3:133-8; 4:145-52) introduces you to certain theological concepts developed by the ancient Jews show up in Augustine's picture of divine providence, though often with a changed application or interpretation. This section also acquaints you with several episodes in Jewish history that played an important role in Augustine's picture of universal history. You will find it useful to consult the Study Guide on this reading.
(3) We also need to get acquainted with certain episodes and ideas from the writings Christians call the New Testament that play a crucial role in Augustine's picture of universal history. Find out about these by reading "Christianity," "The Life of Jesus Christ and the New Testament," "Christians and Jews," "Christianity and Greco-Roman Religions and Philosophies" "The Great Persecution and Christian Toleration" (WH 2:147-52, 156; 3:143-6, 158; 4:157-62,166). You'll want to consult the Study Guide on this reading.
29 Jan (W): How Saint Augustine elaborated Christian doctrine into a comprehensive picture of universal history: the role of the ideas of Original Sin and Advent in the traditional Christian picture of history.
(1) Study the review called "Synthesizing the results of our explication of Genesis 1-3". This is a detailed exposition, so you'll need to take some breaks in working through it. You might begin by skimming the headings.
(2) On-line on the web, work your way through the network of pages on "The Traditional Christian Picture of History".
- Later, if you want, but only later, you might print out a copy of an integral version of this material. It is much more effective to use the hyperlinked version first, because it calls on you to try your own wits before checking out what the links have to say.
- Be sure to explore the links you find there (and here) to discussions of student papers on
31 Jan (F): God's plan for justification as a site of controversy within Christian tradition.
(1) Study carefully the article on Justification in Traditional Christianity. Try to rewrite it in your own terms.
- Be sure to get clear on the terminology explained in the footnotes: the concepts conveyed by these terms are crucial to understanding the conflicts between Protestantism and Catholicism (and among Protestants of various stripes). It seems strange at first, but, as we shall see, disagreements over these matters had much to do with the disastrous social violence of the 16th and 17th centuries.
(2) Read about the sacramental system that developed during the later middle ages, and formalized in the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215 (WH, 2:217-18; 3:215; 4:226-27): the section titled "Christian Beliefs and Practices"). (For the future: What do you think Luther and Calvin would think of this recipe for attaining salvation?)
(3) Read about "Intellectual Controversy and Thomas Aquinas" in WH (2:221-22; 3:220; 4:231-32). How many years had elapsed between the death of Augustine and the death of Aquinas? between the Fourth Lateran Council and the death of Aquinas?
(4) Read about the via antiqua and the via moderna in WH (2:250; 3:247-8; 4:261). Which was really older, and which more recent? (Anticipating: Which would Luther or Calvin be more sympathetic to?)
(5) Read the article on Justification: a closer look at conflicts over the theory. This essay looks both forward (towards some things we will only encounter later) and back (to the age of Augustine, who was a contemporary of Pelagius and his determinined theological opponent. You are not required to explore the many links you find in it (though you may find it highly interesting to peek into some of them.)
- Could you make a diagram in which you show the logical relationships among these and the via antiqua and via moderna? What do you learn about the relationship between different teachings on Original Sin and different doctrines on Justification?
3 Feb (M): The human situation according to Martin Luther (1483-1546). This is a long reading assignment. You may want to get started early on it.
(1) Read the discussion in WH (2:329-333 ; 3:329-333; 4:356-359) on the Protestant Reformation in general and Luther's contributions to it.
(2) Luther's description of his moment of saving theological insight, popularly known as his "Tower Experience". (The "tower" was the name given by the monks in Luther's monastery for the privy, where Luther was sitting when his sudden insight came to him.)
(3) Luther's definition of "faith" in his Commentary on St. Paul's Letter to the Romans
(4) Luther's declaration before the Diet of Worms.
(5) Even though you are not expected to study the materials cited on our page called "Introductory Readings on Martin Luther" (except for the 3 items just listed above), you should read through this memo, since it provides some useful context for understanding our required readings. (For that reason, you might want to read it before you undertake items 2, 3, and 4, above.)
5 Feb (W): The human situation according to John Calvin (1509-64).
(1) The discussion in WH (2:333-34 ; 3:333-34 ; 4:359-360) of Calvin's contributions to the Reformation.
(2) Calvin's teaching, in The Institutes of the Christian Religion, on original sin and justification (with specific reference to God's role in salvation and damnation). This will be easier if you precede it with a succinct statement of the basic tenets of what has come to be known as "Calvinism" (this one provided by the Center for Reformed Theology and Apologetics).
(3) Calvin's statement about the ultimate end of providence, in his letter of rebuttal to Bishop Sadoleto of Geneva. There is a Study Guide to this reading.
7 Feb (F): The Reform of the English Church. Then: some short poems, secular and religious, from England in and just after the reign of Queen Elizabeth.
(1) The origin and nature of the Anglican Church (WH: 2: 334-35; 3:334-35; 4:360-61).
(2) Anonymous, "A Religious Use of Taking Tobacco" (16th-century).
(3) William Shakespeare, Sonnet 130 ("My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun"). If you have the 4th Edition of WH, be sure to exploit the discussion of Shakespeare and the analysis of this poem provided there. (WH: 4:xxvii-xxviii). This is a good place to point out just a few of the many important Shakespeare resources on the web. You can get this particular sonnet from any of these. (I especially recommend the first.)
- The amazing web site of Shakespeare's sonnets is not modest about itself, but this is justifiable, as a visit will reveal. Sonnet 130 is provided with some .
- Ludweb is devoted to Shakespeare's non-dramatic poetry and thus provides a section featuring all of Shakespeare's sonnets. (It also offers a comprehensive page of links to other resources on various aspects of Shakespeare.) Here is Sonnet 130.
- The EServer is a service we should be grateful for. It provides a wealth of links on various topics in the humanities. The index page for all of Shakespeare's sonnets is here. And here is Sonnet 130.
- The Shakespearean Poetry Search at the University of Northern British Columbia is a searchable database that provides concordance-like features. For Sonnet 130, you'd go to the site, enter CCXXX in the box for "First Search Term," and click the Submit button.
- Do you learn better through the ear than through the eye? You might like to hear Sir John Gielgud read Shakespeare's sonnets at the HarperAudio site. (Quickest download will be with the files in .ra format, which will play on RealPlayer. There is a note on other formats at the bottom of the index page.) Sonnet 130 is in Part Four of the collection.
(4) Read the short bio of John Donne (1572-1631) at the Luminarium site. (Click on "Life" when you get to the general page on Donne. While you're looking over the page, you can hear a harpsichord rendition (in a midi file) of "Now I Needs Must Part" by the English composer John Dowland [1562-1626].)
This is perhaps an apt moment to recommend the Luminarium, as a delightful garden for strolling around in, and, through repeated visits, getting acquainted with important figures from Early Seventeenth Century English Literature. It covers the major figures from 1603 to 1660 (that is, from the death of Queen Elizabeth the First and the accession of James I, up through the Civil War and Commonwealth, to the Restoration of the Stuarts [Charles I].) It's one of those places worth bookmarking, and visiting repeatedly, as time permits. You'll be amazed at what you'll get acquainted with -- and how much you've never heard of that you find fascinating and fun. (5) John Donne, "The Flea" (first published 1633, though written before 1610).
(6) Donne, Holy Sonnet XIV: "Batter my heart, Three-Personed God" (1610).
10 Feb (M): More short poems (English, 17th Century) with connections to the Reformation.
(1) George Herbert (1593-1633), "Redemption" (1633).
(Recommended: a look at the Herbert materials at Luminarium. Click on "Life" after listening to Dowland's "My Thoughts are Winged with Hope.")
(2) John Milton (1608-74), Sonnet XIX [on his blindness: "When I consider how my light is spent"] (c. 1655). (The previous link is to the University of Toronto web library. You can also find the poem, accompanied by a witty/serious commentary, at an interesting place that calls itself the "Wealth Bondage" site: click here.)
(Recommended: a look at the Milton materials at Luminarium: Click on "Life" after listening to Milton's "O Had I Wings." [This link actually takes you to another rich web site, www.kirjasto.sci.fi in Finland {"kirjasto" is Finnish for "library"}. Here you can try the "Authors' Calendar," and discover which famous writers were born on your birthday.] )
(3) Milton's sonnet "On the Late Massacre in Piedmont" (1655).
(4) A look at a 16th-century Antinomian, from the standpoint of a 19th-century British liberal: Robert Browning's "Johannes Agricola in Meditation" (1836). (Johannes Agricola lived 1492-1566).
12 Feb (W): The Counter-Reformation: the Council of Trent, the Society of Jesus, the Index, the Inquisition.
(1) Read about "The Catholic Counter-Reformation" and "The Legacy of the Religious Reformations" in WH (2:335-37, 351; 3:334-7, ???; 4:361-63, 368).
The authorities commissioned a ceremonial painting to commemorate the 25th Session of the Council of Trent (1562-63). This was the session that passed new regulations governing the training of priests and their conduct in office. No longer would priests be allowed to keep house with a housemaid (a closet mistress). They were even admonished to set a modest table and be content with temperate repast.
Recommended, but not required: More information bearing on the Council of Trent will be found here.
(2) Read our excerpt from the Council of Trent's Decree on Justification.
(3) Read our glossary article on the doctrine of Apostolic Succession.
(4) Read the excerpt from the Tridentine Creed.
(5) Work through our glossary article on the concept of idolatry in the Reformation/Counter-Reformation period.
(6) In WH (2:337-38; 3:337-38; 4:362-63 ) read the section on "Warfare as a Response to Religious Dissent, 1550-1603."
(7) Have a quick look at some of the etchings (based on the original woodcuts) from John Foxe's Book of Martyrs (), which chronicled the persecution of the English Protestants during the reign (1553-58) of Queen Mary I. (Actually the persecutions -- of some 300 individuals -- began only after her marriage in 1554 to Philip II of Spain.) Foxe's book became a landmark in Protestant hagiography, and could be found in many households in America, into the 20th Century. The illustrations here are from a late 17th-century copy lodged in the Hale Library Rare Book Room. (To see the illustrations, click on the "med" or "large" next to the thumbnail images on the gateway page to which our link takes you.)
(8) Keeping in mind (5) through (7), re-read John Milton (1608-74), Sonnet XVIII: "On the Late Massacre in Piedmont" (1655).
14 Feb (F): The paintings of Michelangelo da Caravaggio.
(1) Read about the political and social background of the age in which the baroque style emerged in the arts (WH 2:353-59; 3:353-358; 4:373-79).
(2) Read the brief introduction to variations within the larger stylistic movement known as "the baroque" (WH 2:359-60; 3:358; 4:379).
(3) Read about the style known as the "florid baroque," which, in its application to religious art in the early decades of the 17th Century, is also known as "Roman ecclesiastical baroque" (WH: 2:360-367; 3:358-366; 4:379-386).
(4) Working from the links on our page on "Baroque Art Resources on the Web", make yourself acquainted with the following 3 works by Caravaggio:
- The Supper at Emaus
- The Calling of St. Matthew
- The Conversion of St. Paul
17 Feb (M): In class: more on Caravaggio. By way of readings:
(*) If you have the 4th Edition of WH, now is the time to exploit a feature that is new with that edition, "A Humanities Primer: How to Understand the Arts." Work through the Introduction (4:xxii-xviii), the discussion of "Approaches to the Analysis of Literature, Art, and Music" (4:xxviii-xxv), and the discussion of "Fine Arts Analysis" (4:xxviii-xxix). Get on top of the terminology presented in boldface.
19 Feb (W): Gianlorenzo Bernini's sculptural and architectural contributions to the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Rome.
(1) Review the earlier history of the construction of St. Peter's Cathedral (aka the Basilica Petri) (WH 323-4) -- i.e., the contributions of Donato Bramante and Micaelangelo Buonarroti.
(2) Review the discussion (WH 359-60, and Figures 14.3, 14.4, 14.5) of Carlos Madero's and Gianlorenzo Bernini's contributions to St. Peter's.
(3) Explore some of the details of Bernini's work in the St. Peter's complex through links on our page on "Baroque Art Resources on the Web". In particular, you should be well familiar with
- the colonnade and piazza
- the Baldacchino
- the Triumph of the Chair of St. Peter
21 Feb (F): In class: more on Bernini. By way of readings:
(1) Review what Matthews and Platt have to say about "Historical Periods and Cultural Styles" (WH: 2:xx-xii; 3:??-??; 4:xviii-xx).
(2) Be able to draw, on your own, Timeline 3 (The Modern World), from the reading just cited.
24 Feb (M): The general concept of "Roman Ecclesiastical Baroque Art."
(*) Study the outline of our page on The Logical Structure of an Art-Historical Period-Style Concept. Print off a copy and bring it with you to class.
(*) The Prep Sheet for Exam #1 will be posted by 7 p.m. today.
26 Feb (W): Review for Exam #1.
28 Feb (F): You will want to consult the Prep Sheet for Exam #1.
3 Mar (M): Exam #1.
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Contents copyright © 2003 by Lyman A.
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This page last updated 17 January 2003.
