HIST 365 The History of Gender, Sexuality, and the Body
An analysis of the history of gender, sexuality, and the body in European history. Topics covered may include religious views of gender and sexuality, sexuality and the state, the growth of sexology as an academic discipline, and the changing meanings and significance of sex and the body. In this course, students also gain an understanding of the centrality of course themes to the study of religion, the state, and the family in any historical time period.
Prerequisite: HIST 154 Western Civilization since the Renaissance
HIST 366 Medieval Europe: Its Ideas and Institutions
A focus on the history of western Europe from the periods of the collapse of the Roman Empire in the west and the emergence of the Middle Ages to the decline of the Middle Ages in the fourteenth century. Topics include the settlement of western Europe by the Germanic peoples; the merging of the Germanic, Classical, and the Christian cultures to form the civilization of the Middle Ages; the kingdom of the Franks, the empire of Charlemagne, and Frankish society and thought; feudalism; and the society and thought of the feudal kingdoms of France, England and Germany.
Prerequisite: HIST 153 Western Civilization to the Renaissance.
HIST 368 Intellectual History of Early Europe
An in-depth study of the ideas which represent the contributions of ancient Greece, ancient Rome, and the Middle Ages to the intellectual history of Western Europe. Special emphasis is placed upon the Ancient and Medieval concepts of man’s nature and destiny.
HIST 369 History of the Crusades
An examination of the Crusades, an experiment in religious warfare that stretched from the eleventh century to the Protestant Reformation. Topics include the development of theories of Holy War in Christianity and Islam, the motivations of those who fought on both sides of this lengthy conflict, and the long-term implications of the Crusades for relations between the adherants of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The course emphasizes the place of the Crusades within the wider context of European and Near Eastern History.
Prerequisite: HIST 153 Western Civilization to the Renaissance or permission of the instructor.
HIST 370 Intellectual History of Modern Europe
A sequel to HIST 368 Intellectual History of Early Europe, the course evaluates outstanding ideologies which have appeared since the seventeenth century. Within a historical context, developments in science, political theory, philosophy, and the arts are examined. The emergence of modern psychology, sociology, and economics also receives attention. The goal is to identify and appraise the points at which various intellectual pursuits have converged and to determine how ideas are translated into actions. Among the topics considered are the origins of modern rationalism, the scientific revolution, scientific and utopian socialism, conservatism, positivism, anarchism, existentialism, and a variety of counter-cultural movements.
Prerequisite: Junior status, and any two of the following: survey of Western philosophy or political thought, a natural science, a social science, or HIST 154 Western Civilization since the Renaissance.
HIST 371 Women in Europe, 1500-2000
An historical examination of women’s lives and ideas of gender in Europe. Through an analysis of social, economic, political, religious, intellectual, and cultural developments, this course explores how women have both experienced and shaped European history. Topics covered may include women’s political action, work and the economy, religion, feminism, and family life. Student thus gain a greater understanding not only of women’s lives, but also of the ways in which one can study the history of women and gender.
Prerequisite: HIST 153 Western Civilization to the Renaissance or HIST 154 Western Civilization since the Renaissance; or permission of the instructor.
HIST 372 Renaissance and Reformation Europe, 1350-1650
A history of Europe from 1350 to 1650, with particular emphasis on the many faceted change-over from medieval to modern during this period: the decline of the papacy, the growth of the Italian Renaissance, Anglo-French rivalry, the rise of Spain, the Reformation, and the growth of modern science.
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