THEO3411 Medieval Church History

2012

4.5

1 x 1.5-hour lecture weekly
1 x 30-minute seminar weekly

THEO2402 has been successfully completed

Roughly one thousand years lie between the collapse of the Roman Empire in Western Europe and the Reformations of the 16th Century. This "Middle Age" has been extolled as a great age of faith and attacked as a dark age of decline and decay. Fascinating or repellent, its legacies include a more centralised papacy, the first universities, great works of art and architecture, a variety of different types of monastic life, and a rich collection of theological and spiritual writings which continue to influence Christians today. This topic will provide an overview of medieval Christian history with particular focus on historical sources, visual as well as textual.

This topics aims to:

• give students an understanding of key developments in Western Christianity from 500 to 1500
• introduce students to a wide range of textual and visual historical sources
• encourage students to engage in scholarly debate and analysis
• give students the opportunity to think and work creatively and collaboratively
• deepen students' appreciation of the significance of developments in Medieval Christian history

On successful completion of this topic, students should be able to:

• identify key developments in Western Christian history from 500 to 1500
• analyse the significance of particular events and periods of change
• demonstrate an ability to interpret a range of historical sources
• recognise the complexity of historical developments and the existence of different interpretations
• communicate knowledge coherently and concisely through essay writing, oral presentations, class discussions and, in some cases, a creative project
• recognise the influence and significance of Medieval Church history and its impact on contemporary Christianity