Hist of Christian Thought II

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

This course examines the history and development of Christian thought and practice from the "high" Middle Ages (twelfth century) through the Reformation (sixteenth century), into the modern world and the turn of the twentieth century. Central focus will be on primary texts, read with an eye toward their historical, cultural, and geographical context. The course is divided into three parts: (1) Middle Ages. We shall begin with the twelfth-century renaissance, when cross- fertilization among Muslim, Jewish, and Christian scholars gave rise to new ways of doing Christian theology; we will study scholasticism and medieval mysticism. We shall also study the Crusades (the motivating factors, how they functioned in the imagination and piety of medieval Christian culture, their political and spiritual effects) and the fall of Constantinople in 1453. (2) Reformation. We shall study the Protestant and Catholic Reformations of the sixteenth century, studying not only the theology but also the social and political repercussions. We shall start with precursors to the reformation and then focus in particular on Martin Luther, John Calvin, the Council of Trent, and Ignatius of Loyola. (3) The Modern Period. We shall focus on problems of articulating Christian faith in the context of the modern world, its view of history, which seems inconsistent with revelation; its scientific methods; and its emphasis on the individual and individual rights.