Medicine and Health(care) in the Ancient and Early Christian World

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

In this class, we will survey some of the most intriguing aspects of healthcare in the ancient and early Christian world. The topics that we will consider include not only theoretical discussions—about sickness and the environment, for example, or the appropriate orientation of doctors—but also practical measures to preserve or restore health, such as diet, bathing, and exercise. Behind all of this advice, however, lie the patients. What was their experience of illness: their sensations, hopes and fears? What were the social implications of disease? Within medical treatment, religion had always played a role, but the advent of Christianity brought increased attention to the needs of the sick. Jesus was widely known as a powerful healer, and the gospels are full of his miracles. But how exactly did he effect cures? To what extent was the spread of Christianity a result of improved healthcare, or the offer of more effective therapy? When was the first hospital founded, and why was it a monastic invention? At the same time as we address these questions about the ancient world, we will also consider healthcare today. How, for example, do the metaphors we use for sickness influence the treatment of patients? Or how, if the first patient case histories are found in the writings of Hippocrates, does learning this technique affect contemporary medical students? And if exorcism was widely believed to be an effective cure in early Christianity, can it still be an effective medical intervention today? What do we think about the medical basis of modern miracles? We will end the semester by considering several specialized topics, such as midwifery, leprosy, epilepsy, and the Justinianic plague. In addition to a midterm and final examination, students in this course will be asked to complete three short assignments and to participate in a final group project.