Module Information
Course Delivery
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | Essay 2000 Words | 50% |
| Semester Assessment | Open examination 2000 Words | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Essay 2000 Words | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Open examination 2000 Words | 50% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
Demonstrate an understanding of relevant themes and approaches in the history and historiography of medieval Latin Europe, in particular the relationship between historical concepts on the one hand and the realities they try to represent on the other.
Evaluate differing ways of understanding the relationship between high medieval Europe and its cultural representation.
Marshal and understand the use of appropriate evidence in formulating historical arguments regarding the history of Christian and non-Christian faith in high medieval Europe.
Demonstrate through written work an ability to integrate methodological themes relating to religious faith in high medieval Latin Europe into their own research.
Brief description
What are we talking about when we talk about medieval Europe? That is the question at the heart of this module. In particular, it focuses on the diversity that defined high medieval Latin Europe. What, for instance, was role of religious minorities - Jews, Muslims, pagans, eastern orthodox Christians? What was the role of institutions like the Church, new religious movements, and universities? What did contemporaries actually mean when they talked about Europe? And what were the tensions between the idea of Europe and lived reality?
Aims
By the end of this module, students will have a good understanding of medieval and modern debates about the meaning of Europe, an understanding of the variety and diversity of religious faith in high medieval Latin Europe, as well as of historical change in this respect and the factors driving it.
Content
Lectures
1. Introduction: what are we talking about when we talk about Europe?
Part I: The emergence of Latin Europe
2. Europe in the world: the world beyond Christendom
3. Europe east and west: Byzantium
4. Europe east and west: the legacy of Rome
5. The expansion of Europe?
6. Conversion: the spread of Latin Christendom?
Part II: Latin Christendom?
7. Europe as a textual community
8. Forms of religious life
9. Defining the tenets of the Faith
10. Organising religion
11. Religion and everyday life
12. The religious vs. the secular?
Part III: Christian Europe?
13. Jewish communities in the west
14. Jews, Christians and Muslims in Iberia
15. The Sicilian experiment
16. Europe’s expanding horizons: Salerno, Toledo and beyond
17. The closing of the European mind?
18. Conclusion: what are we talking about when we talk about Europe?
Seminars
1. Defining Europe
2. The legacy of Rome
3. Tales of Conversion
4. Monks on the move
5. Petrus Alfonsi and Iberia
6. Jewish communities in the west
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Co-ordinating with others | Students will be expected to play an active part in group activities (e.g. short group presentations in seminars) and to learn to evaluate their own contribution to such activities. |
| Creative Problem Solving | Students are expected to tackle historical problems and to undertake appropriate research to respond to these in seminars and written work. |
| Critical and analytical thinking | Students will be encouraged to locate suitable material on the web and to apply it appropriately to their own work. Students will also be expected to word-process their work and make use of Blackboard. These skills will not be formally assessed. |
| Digital capability | The use of electronic resources will be an element in the teaching of the module which will provide students with an opportunity to develop their skills in, for example, the use of TalisAspire and Blackboard. |
| Professional communication | Written communication skills will be developed through the coursework; skills in oral presentation will be developed in seminars but are not formally assessed. |
| Reflection | This will be developed as students are encouraged to reflect on some of the key concepts and arguments relating to the period. |
| Subject Specific Skills | Students will acquire skills in the analysis and discussion of sources relevant to the study of medieval Europe. |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 5