History 218: Reformation Europe
Prof. Laurel Carrington, Holland 509, ext. 3628
Fall 2007
Office hours: MWF 12:55-1:50

I. Course Goals and Regulations

The purpose of this course will be to introduce you to the phenomenon of the Reformation, the period of history during which it occurred, some of the major figures (and a few smaller ones) in the movement itself, and the necessary background to help you understand it. There will be two midterm examinations, a final, and two papers. Papers are due at class time on the day stated in the syllabus. If you need an extension, you must speak to me before the paper is due, and agree to a new date for the paper to be completed.

Grading will be apportioned as follows: papers and midterms, 15% each; final and class grade, 20% each. Half of the class grade will be based on attendance, half on participation. Absences may be excused in cases of illness or family emergency, but please let me know that you are going to be absent before class time, unless you are too sick to make it to your email (in which case let me know as soon as you can). You will be responsible for arranging with other students in the class to fill you in on what you’ve missed. In the event of frequent or prolonged illness or personal emergency, you must contact the Dean of Students’ Office in order to work out a plan for making up missed work. Please be aware that frequent unexcused absences will cause you to lose the entire 10% of your grade based on attendance.

While this course is not a seminar, its success depends on regular, substantial student participation, and thus 10% of your grade is based on your willingness to become involved in class discussions. If this is difficult for you, please come see me and we can talk about ways for you to participate, including sending me questions and comments over email before class.

II. Texts to Purchase

III. Calendar of Assignments

Fri, Sep 7
Lindberg, Chap. 1: History, Historiography, and Interpretation of the Reformation
 
Mon, Sep 10
Lindberg, Chap 2: The Late Middle Ages: Threshold and Foothold of the Reformations
Manifesto of the Revolting Cardinals, Aug 5, 1378; University of Paris and the Schism; The Council of Pisa Competency to Try Popes, 1409; Council of Constance Sacrosancta; Council of Constance Frequens; Council of Constance List of Abuses; Pius II Decree Execrabilis
 
Wed, Sep 12
Peasant Fires I-II
*Excerpt from Steven Ozment, The Reformation in the Cities (packet)
 
Fri, Sep 14
Peasant Fires III-IV
*Erasmus A Pilgrimage for Religion's Sake (packet)
 
 
Mon., Sep 17
Peasant Fires V-VIII
Wed, Sep 19
Selection from The Book of Margery Kempe (packet)
Fri, Sep 21
Selections from Meister Eckhart's sermons (packet)
 
 
Mon, Sep 24
FIRST PAPER DUE
Film: "Luther"
Wed, Sep 26
Lindberg, Chap. 3: The Dawn of a New Era
Hillerbrand 1 & 2
Fri, Sep 28
Hillerbrand 3, 4 & 8
Pope Leo X Exsurge Domine (packet)
 
 
Mon, Oct 1
Lindberg, Chap 4: Wait for no one: Implementation of Reforms in Wittenberg
"Andreas Bodenstein von Carlstadt" from David Steinmetz Reformers in the Wings (packet)
Wed, Oct 3
Heinz Scheible "Philip Melanchthon" from The Reformation Theologians, Carter Lindberg, ed. (packet)
The Phillip Melanchthon Quinquennial Website
Fri, Oct 5
Lindberg, Chap 5: Fruits of the Fig Tree: Social Welfare and Education
Christopher R. Friedrichs "Poverty and Marginality in the Early Modern City" from The Social Dimension, Richard M. Golden, ed. (packet)

 

Mon, Oct 8
Lindberg, Chap 6: The Reformation of the Common Man
Hillerbrand 6
Wed, Oct 10
Hillerbrand 5 & 7
Fri, Oct 12
FIRST MIDTERM
 

Mon, Oct 15
FALL BREAK
Wed, Oct 17
Lindberg, Chap 7: The Swiss Connection: Zwingli and the Reformation in Zurich
Hillerbrand 9
Fri, Oct 19
Lindberg, Chap 8: The Sheep against the Shepherds: The Radical Reformation
Hillerbrand 11
 
 
Mon, Oct 22
Hillerbrand 10, 12, 13 & 14
The Radical Reformation website
Wed, Oct 24
Lindberg, Chap 9: Augsburg 1530 to Augsburg 1555: Reforms and Politics
Heinz Schilling, "The Reformation and the Rise of the Early Modern State" from James Tracy, ed. Luther and the Modern State in Germany (packet)
Fri, Oct 26
Mark Greengrass, "Reactions to the Reformation," Sections 6.3-6.6 from The European Reformation 1500-1618 (packet)
Volker Press, "The Habsburg Lands: The Holy Roman Empire, 1400-1555
 
Mon, Oct 29
Lindberg, Chap 10: "The Most Perfect School of Christ": The Genevan Reformation
Hillerbrand 15 & 16
Wed, Oct 31
Hillerbrand 17& 18
Fri, Nov 2
Lindberg, Chap 11: Refuge in the shadow of God's Wings: The Reformation in France
Le Poulet Gauche Website; look particularly at the material in the "History and Politics" section
 
 
Mon, Nov 5
SECOND MIDTERM
Wed, Nov 7
Steven Ozment The Burgermeister's Daughter, pp. 1-74
Fri, Nov 9
Burgermeister's Daughter, pp. 74-141
 
 
Mon, Nov 12
Burgermeister's Daughter, pp. 141-194
Wed, Nov 14
Lindberg, Chap 12: The Blood of the Martyrs: The Reformation in the Netherlands
Greengrass, Section 6.2: The Netherlands
Fri, Nov 16
Lindberg, Chap 13: The Reformation in England and Scotland
The Suppression of Glastonbury Abbey
Excerpt from Foxe's Book of Martyrs (packet)
 
Mon, Nov 19
SECOND PAPER DUE
Film: "A Man for all Seasons"
Wed, Nov 21 and Fri, Nov 23
THANKSGIVING BREAK
 
 
Mon, Nov 26
John Knox The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women (packet)
Wed, Nov 28
Hillerbrand 19-22
Fri, Nov 30
Lindberg, Chap 14: Catholic Renewal and the counter-Reformation
From the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius Loyola
 
 
Mon, Dec 3
The Autobiography of St. Ignatius Loyola chapters 1-6
Wed, Dec 5
Autobiography chapters 7-11
Fri, Dec 7
Excerpt from the Life of St. Theresa of Avila (packet)
Bernini Sculptures from the 1640s; scroll down to "The Ecstacy of St. Theresa"
 
 
Mon, Dec 10
Lindberg, Chap 15: Legacies of the Reformation
 
Fri, Dec 14, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
FINAL EXAMINATION

Laurel Carrington carringt@stolaf.edu
Most recent update: September 28, 2007

 

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