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SPRING 2006
In the Spring 2006 semester, the Medieval Studies Certificate Program
offers the following courses.
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MSCP 80500
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Monarchy & Empire in Byzantium, 4th
-14th Centuries
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Wednesday., 6:30-8:30 p.m., Rm. TBA, 3 credits
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Professor Eric Ivison
Cross listed with HIST 70800
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In
the eyes of his subjects, the East Roman (or Byzantine) emperor stood at
the pinnacle of earthly society, and occupied a pivotal place in the
ideology and mission of the imperial state. The emperor was always more
than just head of state, commander-in-chief, and supreme judge. In the
tradition of the ancient kings of Israel, the emperor was styled as God’s
vice-regent on Earth who was the supreme Christian king, the defender of
the Christian Church and the Orthodox faith, and the heir to the Roman
traditions of universal empire dating back to Augustus and Constantine.
As the definitive expression of power and legitimacy, Byzantine traditions
of monarchy and empire were also highly influential in medieval Europe and
the Middle East, where royal courts imitated Byzantine style and adopted
imperial ideology. Byzantine traditions of monarchy are therefore also
central to the development of kingship throughout the medieval world.
This course explores the imperial office and concepts of empire in
Byzantium through a wide range of primary sources and secondary studies. By
examining the central figure of the emperor, the imperial court and the
ideology of the state, this course will also offer insights on the nature
of Byzantine civilization, Byzantine concepts of identity and world order,
and Byzantine perceptions of the Empire's role in the world
Primary sources will be studied in translation and will include
historiography, hagiography, poetry, theology, law, and court handbooks,
along with the visual sources of art and architecture.
Weekly topics will include: the evolution of the imperial office in Late
Antiquity and through the medieval period; the roles and responsibilities
of the emperor; the empress and the imperial family; the imperial court,
ceremony and protocol; imperial regalia; the emperor and his capital; and
the archaeology of the Byzantine monarchy; ideology of empire; diplomatic
relations with other rulers.
Students will also have the opportunity to explore the influence of
Byzantine monarchy on medieval Catholic kingship in Western Europe and the
Orthodox monarchies of Eastern Europe, as well as its impact on Islamic kingship.
Information: ivison@mail.csi.cuny.edu Tel: 718-982-2872
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MSCP
80500
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Chaucer's Early Works & Medieval Psychologies
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Tuesday, 11:45
a.m. -1:45 p.m., Room TBA, 3 credits
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Professor Steven Kruger
Cross listed with ENGL 80800
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Chaucer’s
work – from early dream visions like The Book of the Duchess and The
House of Fame to The Canterbury Tales – evinces a strong
interest in psychology, though a psychology very different from
contemporary, post-Freudian frameworks.
In this course, we will focus especially on Chaucer’s earlier work – the
dream visions and Troilus and Criseyde – examining how these poems
construct an understanding of the psyche in relation to (1) the (sexed,
gendered, and sexualized) body; (2) the cosmos, conceived as under the
ultimate control of a (Christian) God; (3) the demands of religious belief
and practice; and (4) secular realms like marriage, the family, the court,
and the nation.
To facilitate this investigation, we will read widely and
interdisciplinarily in medieval discourses surrounding Chaucer and shaping
his conception of psychology: such discourses include theories of dreaming
(medical, theological, natural philosophical); treatises on the anima
[soul]; handbooks governing religious practices like confession and
penance; discussions of such social institutions as “courtly love,” the
household, and the public (political) sphere.
We will also work with some non-Chaucerian literary works (e.g., selections
from Boethius’s Consolation of Philosophy, The Romance of the
Rose, Dante’s Commedia, Usk’s Testament of Love,
Henryson’s Testament of Cresseid) that take up questions related to
those Chaucer poses. And we will consider whether and how contemporary
psychological theories might be of use to an understanding of medieval
psychologies.
Students should purchase the Riverside Chaucer
(or another complete edition of Chaucer’s writing). Required student work
will include in-class presentations and brief written assignments leading
to a final seminar paper.
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MSCP
80500
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Medieval Performance
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Monday, 4:15-6:15 p.m., Room TBA, 3 credits
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Professor Pamela Sheingorn
Cross listed with THEA 85400
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This
course focuses on issues of performance both in the Middle Ages and in contemporary
revivals and adaptations of medieval drama.
We will examine the evidence for performance practice in medieval dramatic
texts and medieval theories of performance in texts such as the Treatise
of Miraclis Pleyinge. We will consider styles of acting, types of
staging, audience, and audience response in the early, high, and late
Middle Ages, as well as in the reconstructive staging of academically
sponsored productions and the more experimental productions of the
professional theatre in the twentieth century.
We will also become familiar with a range of current scholarly approaches
to our subject. Our primary texts will be drawn from a variety of
geographical areas; all will be made available in English.
Each student will make one in-class presentation on a secondary book or
articles, write 5 short response papers, and one research paper of 20-25
pages.
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MSCP
80700
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The Medieval Book: Art, History, Technology
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Tuesday, 4:15-6:15 p.m., 3 credits
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Professor William Coleman
Cross listed with C L 70700
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The
course will be a survey of the following topics related to research on the
medieval book:
1. the materials (papyrus, parchment, paper) used in constructing
and binding medieval books, with particular attention on the techniques for
watermarking paper and on the bibliography of watermark research.
2. the copying and decoration of the medieval book; a survey of the
history of Latin-alphabet paleography and manuscript illumination from the
late classical period through the 15th century.
3. the production and circulation of the medieval book; the
organization of medieval monastic and secular scriptoria and the
transmission and trade in books during the Middle Ages during the
manuscript period (through the mid-15th century) and during the
incunabulum period (from the invention of printing until the end of the 15th
century). The course will introduce students to research and bibliography
on the production of manuscripts and early printing.
4. the collecting of the medieval book; study of the various
monastic and secular library collections during the Middle Ages.
5. the codicology of the medieval book; the various kinds of information
that research on the book-as-object can provide.
Several guest speakers will make presentations on topics related to their
work on the production and circulation of books during the Middle Ages.
The course will have a special session at the Rare Books and Manuscript
Division of the New York Public Library.
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MSCP
89000
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Dissertation Workshop
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Wednesday, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Room TBA, 0 credits
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Professor Glenn Burger
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This
workshop is intended for students preparing their prospectus or already at
work writing the dissertation. We will be focus on workshopping work
in progress rather than polished final drafts of dissertation
chapters.
Students will prepare drafts and read each others’ work (including drafts
of the dissertation prospectus), as well as discuss the job market and the
academic profession from the perspective of interdisciplinary work in
Medieval Studies.
The opportunity to present and discuss dissertation work in such an
environment should provide a valuable stimulus to student progress and to
shorten the time taken to finish the degree.
Students should allow for weekly meetings, but we may meet less frequently
depending on the number of students participating. Prerequisite:
Permission of the Medieval Studies Certificate Program Coordinator. For
permission, contact gburger@gc.cuny.edu
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ART 73000
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Early Christian & Byzantine Art
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Wednesday, 4:15-6:15 p.m., Room 3421, 3 credits
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Professor Jennifer Ball
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The
Byzantine Empire at its height reached from Italy to the Middle East and
lasted for over one thousand years. Despite
the Empire's longevity, Byzantine art is typically portrayed as the garish
final stage of Roman art or is overshadowed by Gothic art.
The Byzantines, however, made contributions that cannot be overlooked in a
study of Medieval Europe, such as perfecting the art of wall mosaics and
developing the use of icons, to create some of the most spectacular
medieval art in existence today.
Furthermore, Byzantine engineers accomplished many feats of engineering,
such as the great dome of Hagia Sophia, that for years were only truly
understood by the Ottomans who inherited the great church.
This class will explore the fundamental debates of the field while
surveying the major monuments and art of the Byzantine Empire, with a view
into Byzantine society. Byzantine
image theory, the nature of iconoclasm and the use of icons, defining
secularism in an Orthodox society, the construction of sacred space, the
categories of Western/non-Western in relation to Islam and the Medieval
West, and gender and sexuality will be among the topics discussed.
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ENGL 70700
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Medieval
Literature in Britain
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Friday, 2:00-4:00 pm, Room TBA,
2/4 credits
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Professor Scott Westrem
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Description to come
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P SC 70100
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Ancient & Medieval Political Thought
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Monday,
6:30-8:30 pm, Room TBA, 3 credits
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Professor
Young Kun Kim
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The
main currents of political thought in the classical and medieval periods in
the West will be studied in their historical and cultural contexts.
In the Spring 2006 semester, selected texts of representative political
thinkers (chiefly Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, St. Augustine, and St. Thomas)
will be discussed. Special efforts will be made, by analysis of the basic
texts, to ascertain the formative process of the Western tradition in
political thought.
No term paper is required and the final semester grade will be based on
class discussion and a written examination.
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SPAN 81000
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Seminar: Studies in Medieval Literature
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Thursday, 4:15-6:15 p.m., Room TBA, 3 credits
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Professor
Octavio Di Camillo
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Description to come
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Past schedules:
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Fall 2005; Spring 2005;Fall 2004;Spring 2004;Fall 2003;
Spring 2003; Fall 2002;
Spring 2002; Fall 2001; Spring 2001
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