2017 ADVANCED COURSE OF STUDY SCHOOL

Transcription

1 2017 ADVANCED COURSE OF STUDY SCHOOL "ʺThe Church s History of Medieval Women: Nuns, Queens, and Visionaries (2 credit hours; Church History course) Summer School Session, Weeks 2 & 3 July 17-28, :15am 11:00am Instructor: Dr. Sarah Bogue sbogue@emory.edu Course Description This course will introduce you to the wide range of women who influenced the course of Medieval Christianity. From abbesses and educators, to playwrights and poets, we will explore the varied lives of these significant women. We will delve deeply into the lives of specific women, examining both their own writings and texts that were composed about them. Through careful reading of these primary texts (in English translation), you will get a better picture of the world these women inhabited and shaped. Course Objectives - Develop critical reading skills in the area of historical theology. - Explore texts written by and about medieval women, considering the applicability of this material to the life of the contemporary church. - Build a portfolio of historical bios for these medieval women, suitable for use in a variety of ecclesial contexts. Required Textbook Thiébaux, Marcelle. The Writings of Medieval Women: An Anthology. New York: Routledge, ISBN:

2 Pre- Class Assignments (Assignments #1, 2 & 3 should be ed to amy.elizabeth.walker@emory.edu by June 1, 2017) These assignments serve two purposes. Your first exercise introduces you to the study of medieval women and asks you to reflect on the potential application of the course material to your own ecclesial context. Your second exercise introduces the first, perhaps foundational, text for the study of Christian women. By studying this text (and reading the essay introduction to the text), you will begin the process of critically reading historical texts. PRE- CLASS ASSIGNMENT #1: Intro to Reading Medieval Women (up to 6 pages) Read: Paul Rorem, The Company of Medieval Women Theologians, Theology Today 60 (2003): (provided via the Canvas class site). Consider: Dr. Paul Rorem is a practicing Lutheran pastor as well as a professor of historical theology at Princeton Theological Seminary. This article was written specifically for the pastoral context, and it considers the many potential uses for historical writing about women in the church today. Write: Please respond to the following queries: 1. In the section on Mechthild (pp ), Rorem suggests that the community of Helfta was crucial to Mechtild s development. First, explain how Mechthild was negatively impacted by her community. Then, compare this to a moment when your faith community impacted your life in a similar way (2-3 pgs.) 2. In the introduction to the article (pp ), Rorem claims that at least one goal of the article is to explore the multiplicity of women s voices throughout Christian history. Which of these women seems most relevant to you and your church context? Why? (2-3 pgs.) PRE- CLASS ASSIGNMENT #2: Setting the Stage (up to 10 pages) Read: Perpetua of Carthage in The Writings of Medieval Women, pp Consider: Perpetua s account of her imprisonment is the earliest potentially female- authored Christian text. It engages a number of themes that we will encounter throughout this course, including (but not limited to): the nature of religious authority (who authorizes Christians to speak? And how is that authority mediated?), the role of visions and a visionary mindset (what is the value of a vision for the individual who experiences it? How is the vision then communicated to the community?), the relationship between empire/culture and faith, and finally, the question of gender, particularly in the space of historical theology. Warning: This text is a martyrdom account and it includes some upsetting imagery. Please read Thiebaux s introduction carefully (3-8), as it will help you approach the material as objectively as possible, using the eyes of a historical theologian. This does not mean that you will be able to avoid responding emotionally martyrdom texts are designed to incite emotion in their readers! Rather, the goal of this pre- reading (and the class itself) is to think about how these texts evoke such emotion and why their authors chose to do so. Write: Please respond to the following queries, separating each section with the corresponding number. 1. Sections 1 and 2 (pgs. 8-9) are certainly not authored by Perpetua. How does the sermon by the eyewitness attempt to offer context for Perpetua s narrative? Consider particularly the lack of references to Perpetua herself what is the focus of the sermon? What goals does the sermon - 2 -

3 set out for the subsequent narrative? Why do you think the editor of this text chose to include the sermon, and place it prior to the account of Perpetua s narrative? (2-3 pgs.) 2. Perpetua refuses to denounce her faith, a fact that causes severe disruption to her family life. Describe how Perpetua s choices impacted her relationship to her father (pg. 12). What is her father s argument for Perpetua s renunciation of faith? (1-2 pgs.) 3. The description of physical suffering plays a prominent role in this narrative, particularly in the final pages describing the death of Perpetua and her fellow martyrs. Why do you think these descriptions were included? Use Thiebaux s introduction to the narrative (especially pgs. 4-5) to help you consider this question. (1-2 pgs.) 4. After considering these questions, tell me what you think of the narrative! Do you think it was an effective recording of early Christian heroism? Can you think of any parallels in contemporary Christian or secular literature? (2-3 pgs.) PRE- CLASS ASSIGNMENT #3: Picking your presentation material Read through the table of contents in your textbook and skim the introductions of those women who particularly interest you. Make a list of three women you d like to be the subject of your presentation, ranked in order of preference. Include a sentence or two about each woman and why you d like to study them further. (1 pg.) Dr. Bogue will assign which woman you will be focusing your In- Class Presentation on and which date you will be presenting. This information will be ed to each student no later than July 1. In- Class Presentation This presentation will include a brief oral summary as well as a two page handout. The goal of this presentation is 1) to familiarize yourself with the work of one particular medieval woman and 2) to create, as a class, a bank of handouts on the lives of medieval women that we can use in a church setting. Your presentation must include the following elements: o Summarize the life of one of the day s medieval women o Include an image of her (historical or contemporary) o List the sources for her life and/or translations of her own writing o Include at least two secondary resources for further study of that woman Post- Class Assignment ( to Dr. Bogue by August 7) o Write a reflection paper detailing your experience of reading about medieval women. What was difficult about these readings? Which woman/text was the most personally meaningful to you, and why? (5 pgs) o Describe (at least) one way you could integrate this material into either your own devotional practices or into the life of your church. (3 pgs) How Your Final Course Grade Is Determined 50% Pre- Class Assignments 25% In- Class Presentation 15% Participation 10% Post- Class Assignment - 3 -

4 COS Grading Scale A B C D A B C D A B C F 0-64 Guidelines for Written Assignments All papers should be typed, double- spaced, and on 8.5x11 paper. The font should be Times New Roman, 12 point. Margins should be 1 on all sides. All papers must include a page number and the student s last name in the header or footer. Note the question you are answering at the beginning of each new section or page. All papers must be properly cited. Use MLA formatting. This is the best website for learning more about MLA format: Inclusive Language Covenant The faculty of Emory Course of Study School has adopted a covenant statement encouraging inclusiveness in the use of language, as follows: The Inclusive Language Covenant is designed to create a linguistic environment in which all students, staff, and faculty can grow in understanding and appreciating the rich diversity of God s people. The COS faculty commits itself through continued discussion, reflection, and exploration to using language in such a way that we respond to the fullness of God s presence among us as much by our choice of words as by our care for one another. Recognizing that our experience with inclusive language is an integral part of theological formation, we invite students and others to share as partners with us in this learning process. We understand covenant more in terms of its biblical and theological meaning than in a legal or contractual context. Covenant signifies the common commitment of a community of faith in response to God s revelation and in participation with one another. The values implied in the covenant have morally persuaded us to try to generate patterns of speech and behavior that bond the members of the community in mutual respect. We expect all members of the community to address issues of diversity constructively. The entire Inclusive Language Covenant can be found on the COS website, and you are encouraged to read the whole covenant

5 Directions to Pre- Class Assignments DEADLINE must be received no later than 11:59p.m. EST on June 1, Pre- class work received after the deadline will be subject to the late penalty schedule below: Pre- class work received between June 2-8 will receive a one- letter grade deduction. Pre- class work received between June 9-15 will receive a two- letter grade deduction. Students who have not turned in pre- class work by June 15 will be dropped from the class. SUBJECT LINE The subject of your should be Pre- Class Work ACOS Church History THE Your full name, phone number, and address should be included at the beginning of your . Pre- class work must be sent as an attachment and not in the body of the . a. Only Microsoft Word documents will be accepted. b. All assignments for each class must be in one document. You should send only one attachment with all class assignments; s sent with multiple documents will not be accepted. PLAGIARISM The Plagiarism Policy and Plagiarism Defined paragraphs below (in red) must be included in the body of your , not within your pre- class work. The inclusion of the policy and definition in the body of the verifies that you agree to it and your will represent your signature (which is a requirement). If the does not include the plagiarism policy and definition it will not be accepted. Plagiarism Policy - I have read the plagiarism definition below and verify that this assignment represents my own work, except where credit is given. Plagiarism Defined: You plagiarize when, intentionally or not, you use someone else s words or ideas but fail to credit that person, leading your readers to think that those words are yours. In all fields, you plagiarize when you use a source s words or ideas without citing that source. In most fields, you plagiarize even when you do credit the source but use its exact words without using quotation marks or block indentation ( ). Booth, Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams. The Craft of Research, Second Edition. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, You will receive a confirmation of receipt within 72 hours of submitting your pre- class work