HUM& 117 - Humanities II The Medieval World

Credits: 5
LEC hours per week: 5
What do the terms “medieval” and “renaissance” mean, and how are they connected to our lives today? By the end of this course, you will be able to recognize and comprehend the characteristics of the Medieval and Renaissance Eras and to confidently think, talk, and write about them! The student should be able to evaluate the momentous transition(s) from Medieval to Renaissance culture through themes of change such as religious schism and reform (values and spirituality), family and social structures (social and political systems), the plague (medicine), the Little Ice Age (environment), and the birth of print culture (technology). In addition we will practice translating, interpreting, and critiquing culturally and linguistically diverse works in literature, philosophy, and visual and performing arts so that we may connect Medieval and Renaissance insights to western culture – how did these eras in Europe shape the values of modern Americans?
Course Outcomes:

Explain various connections between the major characteristics of the European Middle Ages and Renaissance to western culture today.
Compare artistic, architectural, musical, religious, and cultural values between the European Middle Ages and Renaissance.
Analyze the momentous transitions from Medieval to Renaissance culture, including religious, social, and technological changes.
Critique culturally and linguistically diverse works in literature, philosophy, and visual and performing arts.
Present thoughtful opinions and analytical responses to period texts through use of textual evidence and other rhetorical devices.

Course Topics:

Medieval spirituality (e.g. Christianity, Islam, and Judeism; the Protestant Reformation)
Social and political systems (peasant, priest, and prince; the Crusades; the birth of print culture; chivalry; courtly love)
Medieval medicine (the Black Plague)
The medieval environment (the Little Ice Age, attitudes towards animals via the bestiary)
Technological innovations (the birth of print culture, castle construction; introduction of the Gothic cathedral)
Literary and legal texts of England, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy
Art (sculpture, painting, manuscript illumination, and woodcutting)
Music (pre-polyphonic)

Course Attribute(s): Humanities