| Unit name | The Individual and Community: Letters in the Middle Ages |
|---|---|
| Unit code | THRSM0128 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Muessig |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of Religion and Theology |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Medieval letters are one of the most insightful sources into the hearts and minds of individuals and communities of pre-modern Europe. The authors of these letters were often outspoken reformers and critics of the medieval church. This unit will assess the writings of a range of theological authors including prominent ecclesiastical figures (e.g., Peter Damian d. 1073; Bernard of Clairvaux d. 1154) and influential women (e.g. Hildegard of Bingen d. 1179 and Catherine of Siena d. 1380). Students will be encouraged to think critically about the context, content and language of medieval letters in order to establish what they reveal about the theological and historical contexts of their authors and communities.
On successful completion of this unit students will be able to demonstrate:
1) an advanced understanding of the significance of letters as key source of historical theology.
2) an analytical understanding of the role and influence of medieval authors of theological letters.
3) an enhanced comprehension of the theological and social innovations of medieval concepts of self and community.
4) advanced skills in the researching, reading and presentation of complex material at a standard appropriate to level M/7.
1 x 2 hour seminar weekly
One 5000-word essay. (100%)
It will assess ILOs 1-4.
Catherine of Siena, The Letters of Catherine of Siena, (trans. Suzanne Noffke) (Tempe, Arizona: Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, [2nd ed.], 2000-2008)
Cherewatuk, K. and Wiethaus, U. (eds), Dear Sister: medieval women and the epistolary genre (Philadelphia, Pa.: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1993)
Martin McLaughlin, M. (trans & ed) and Wheeler, B. (ed) The Letters of Heloise and Abelard: a translation of their collected correspondence and related writings (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009)
Murphy, J., Rhetoric in the Middle Ages (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1974)
Peter Damian, Letters, (trans. Owen J. Blum) (Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of America Press, 1989-2005)
