HIST 320 - Medieval Europe

Credit(s): 3
This course will explore the society, culture and political institutions of medieval Western Europe. Topics will include the rise of the Carolingian system out of the pieces of the broken Roman World, the spread of Christianity and the invasions of the Early Middle Ages, the development of the feudal system, the impact of reformed monasticism, the growth of papal power, the reemergence of civic life and a money economy. We will also explore scholasticism, the increasing lay-orientation of religion, the growth of international trade and the emergence of the pre-nation state. Within this broad chronological framework, the course will focus on certain themes and tensions in the Western medieval tradition, but also in the modern: the balance between church and state, secular and sacred, centralization and fragmentation, individual and community, reason and emotion.

Prerequisites: HIST 101 or permission of the instructor.
Course Level: Undergraduate