Syllabus

Instructor Information

• Instructor: David M. Perry
• Class Times: MWF 9:30 AM-10:20 AM
• Location: Lib 310B
• Office: Lewis Annex 2C
• Office Phone: (708) 524-6052
• Office Hours : MF 12-1
• Email: dperry@dom.edu
• Class URL: http://domin.dom.edu/faculty/dperry/hist308church/
• Instructor URL: http://domin.dom.edu/faculty/dperry/

This is an upper-division course on the history and culture of medieval Catholicism. We will be examining beliefs, practice, and the institution of the Church in many different ways, and use our study of the church as a lens through which we can discuss broader themes and further our understanding of the Middle Ages and its peoples. We will spend the first few weeks developing a solid historical framework - we'll read textbooks, listen to lectures, and otherwise make sure we understand how we get to Christianity in the central Middle Ages. Then we will turn to topics, taking on some of the more interesting facets of medieval Christianity by reading secondary and primary sources.

Expectations

This is a small class and we will all work closely together. You will struggle if you don't keep up with the reading, if you wait too long to begin your final paper, and if you don't come to class ready to contribute. Reading and discussion lie at the core of the class. Welcome!

Required Texts

The following books have been made available for you at the Dominican bookstore. Please buy them.

• J. Lynch, Medieval Church
• Tierney, Crisis of Church & State 1050-1300
• Panofsky, Abbot Suger on Abbey Church
• Bible, New Oxford Annotated Bible: NRSV (with Apoc)(Augmented)
• P. Brown, Cult of the Saints
• Van Engen, The Devotio Moderna
  

There will be numerous other readings either posted online or given out in class. You are required to bring all readings due on any given day to class to aid in discussion. For online materials, this means you must print them out. If you fail to bring assigned readings to class, I may count you as absent.

Assignments:

• Integration Papers on FOUR of NINE available topics.
  • 15% each.
  • Details to follow. All reaction papers have the same assignment. Minimum length is 1500 words.
  • You may write as many papers as you wish and keep the top 4 grades.
• Formal Research Paper or Source Study on any topic related to the history of the Catholic Middle Ages. At least 3000 words long (10 pages or so).
  • 20 minute presentation = 5% of final grade
  • Turning in statement, bibliography, and draft that meet requirements = 5% of final grade
  • Final paper = 20% of final grade.
• Participation: 10%
  • Participation is more than just showing up, but it starts with just showing up. You cannot participate if you are not here and will be required to make up any work for each class you miss.
    • Here's the policy.
      1. You can miss TWO classes. I don't want notes or excuses. Excused or unexcused, you can miss two. You have to make up the work, but there's no penalty.
      2. As soon as those two are used up, you must have written documentation or you will lose 5 points off your final grade. No matter how you used up your two, once they are gone, they are gone forever.
  • But participation is about more than just showing up. It's about doing the reading, being prepared to talk about it, volunteering your input, being involved in your group work, preparing for the debates and other discussions, and being an asset to the class as a whole. Your participation is a significant percentage of your grade. Earn it. Take initiative. Do not expect to speak only when directly called upon and pass this section of the class.
  • I will frequently ask you for candid, confidential, assessments of your contributions. These will provide written documentation of your efforts.
  • Finally, being late consistently may be counted as being absent. It will certainly lower your participation grade.

The Grade:

• Reaction Papers
  • Reaction 1 = 15%
  • Reaction 2 = 15%
  • Reaction 3 = 15%
  • Reaction 4 = 15%
• Research Paper
  • Statement/Bibliography/Draft = 5%
  • Presentation = 5%
  • Final Draft = 20%
• Class Participation = 10%

Class Participation includes attendance, participation in class and small-group discussions, and informal writing exercises. This is a pretty small class. If you don't participate, we'll be bored.

Policies

Late Assignment Policy

Paper and Exam grades will be reduced by one grade (A to B, B to C, etc.) for every day the paper is late. If the draft of the final paper is late, the final version will not be eligible for an "A."

NO ONE WILL PASS THE COURSE WITHOUT COMPLETING ALL ASSIGNMENTS

Course Policies

1. Follow all Dominican University policies in regards to Academic Honesty. If you are unsure about whether something is plagiarism or cheating, ask first. People caught cheating will be subjected to the fullest penalties allowable by Dominican.
   • You may never, ever, put someone else's words in your paper and not indicate that they are a quoation (with "") and cite the origins. Failure to comply may result in failing the entire class.
2. Assignments turned in via the MyDU system must be read-able by MS Word. If you email me an assignment, do not assume that it is turned in until I confirm receipt. If I don't confirm, it is not turned in.
3. Students must bring readings to class on the day they are assigned. Print out online materials. If we don't talk about something in class, you need to bring it to the next class too unless told otherwise.
4. Writing assignments and examinations are due at the beginning of class. DO NOT EVER SKIP CLASS TO TRY AND FINISH YOUR PAPER. Printing errors and lost data are a fact of the computer age. If you wait until the last minute and encounter technical difficulties, your paper may still be counted as late.
5. Papers turned in online still need to be polished: Name, title, page numbers, citation - these all count.

Click here for a calendar with links to lecture images and resources