Questions for Wednesday, November 15, 2006

 

Lualdi, 11: 1 Medieval University Life  Answer either of the following:

 

1. Why might both Frederick I and Philip II have been concerned for students’ welfare?  What do the kings’ privileges reveal about the process of state building at the time?  What role did official records such as these play in the process?
2. What picture of student life do the authors paint in the two poems?  What are the similarities and differences between these students’ lives and the lives of students at St. Olaf?

 

Lualdi 11:3 St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi Selected Writings  Answer either of the following:

 

1. Based on his Rule, how would you characterize St. Francis’s spirituality and sense of mission?  How would you compare his Rule to that of Benedict?

 

2. How does St. Clare echo Francis’s ideals in her Testament?  What goals did Francis and Clare share in composing these documents, and what do they both reveal about contemporary attitudes toward women?

 

 

Lualdi 11:4 Thomas of Monmouth Life of St. William of Norwich

 

What is the significance of the Jews’ murdering William in a mock crucifixion?  Why do you suppose William was canonized? Finally, what does the story tell us about Christian Europe’s attitudes toward Jews at this time?  (hint: focus on the language the source uses to describe people and events).