| Unit name | Heresy and Reform in the Medieval and Early Modern Eras |
|---|---|
| Unit code | THRS10062 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Muessig |
| Open unit status | Open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of Religion and Theology |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
This unit aims to provide students with an overview of how the Catholic Church attempted to implement religious reform as well as how it defined heresy during the medieval and early modern eras. It will focus on Western Europe, with particular emphasis on England, France, Germany and Italy. The unit will offer students in-depth analysis of several important topics: including the Gregorian Reform; Catharism; Franciscanism; Concilarism; and the Counter-Reformation. These themes will be investigated by using various sources such as primary texts in translation, images and material culture, and the writings of historians and theologians.
On successful completion of this unit students will be able to demonstrate:
(1) a clear understanding of the trends in Catholic reform during the medieval and early modern eras.
(2) a clear understanding of heretical movements and how heresy was defined in the medieval and early modern eras.
(3) the ability to evaluate critically the primary sources and scholarly theories related to heresy and reform.
(4) the ability to research, read and present complex material at a standard appropriate to level C/4.
11 x 1-hour lecture
11 x 1-hour seminar
One summative 1,500-word essay. (50%)
One two-hour exam. (50%)
Both will assess ILOs 1-4.
M. Lambert, Medieval Heresy, 3rd edition (Oxford: Blackwell, 2002).
B. Bolton. The Medieval Reformation (London: Edward Arnold, 1983).
W. Wakefield and A.P. Evans,. Heresies of the High Middle Ages, 2nd edition (New York: Columbia University Press, 1991).
John W. O'Malley, What Happened at the Council of Trent (Cambridge, Mass. ; Harvard University Press, 2013).
R. Po-chia Hsia, The World of Catholic Renewal, 1540-1770. (Cambridge : Cambridge University Press ,2nd ed. ,2005).
