Medieval Course

This recommended reading list is based on two assumptions: first, that the class meets twice a week, with more time to read and prepare available for the first discussion than the second. Secondly, this course assumes two 18-week semesters. Educators may tailor these recommendations to fit their own schedules.

Because our mission is to apply the Christian worldview to the great conversation, we begin each year by assigning books designed to encourage students to better understand and apply the Christian worldview. These first few weeks establish an important foundation for students, reminding them that they are responsible for taking every thought captive for Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).

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Reading List

• Week 1
• The Deadliest Monster by J.F. Baldwin.
  -read Prologue and chapter 1
• The Deadliest Monster by J.F. Baldwin.
  -read chapter 2
• Week 2
• The Deadliest Monster by J.F. Baldwin.
  -read chapters 3-4
• The Deadliest Monster by J.F. Baldwin.
  -read chapter 6
• Week 3
• Roots of American Order by Russell Kirk.
  -read chapter 5
• City of God by Augustine.
  -read book I:1-14, Book V:8-16
• Week 4
• City of God by Augustine.
  -read book VIII:3-14, boo.k XII:1-4, book XIV:1-6
• City of God by Augustine.
  -read book XIX:14-22, book XXI:13f
• Week 5
• How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill.
  -read introduction and chapters 1-2
• How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill.
  -read chapters 4 and 6
• Week 6
• Everyman's Talmud, ed. Abraham Cohen.
  -read introduction and chapter 1
• Everyman's Talmud, ed. Abraham Cohen.
  -read chapter 3
• Week 7
• Everyman's Talmud, ed. Abraham Cohen.
  -read chapter 4: 1, 4-5 and ch. 7 and ch. 11:1
• St. Benedict's Rule for Monasteries by St. Benedict.
  -read chapters 1-19
• Week 8
• St. Benedict's Rule for Monasteries by St. Benedict.
  -read chapters 20-73
• Turning Points by Mark Noll.
  -read chapter 4
• Week 9
• The Koran, trans. A.J. Arberry.
  -read "The Cow," "Mary," "Prostration"
• The Koran, trans. A.J. Arberry.
  -read "Sad," "The Kingdom," and "The Darkening"
• Week 10
• Compact Guide to World Religions, ed. Dean Halverson.
  -read "Islam"
• "Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics" by J.R.R. Tolkien.
• Week 11
• Beowulf, trans. E. Talbot Donaldson.
  -read pp. 1-32
• Beowulf, trans. E. Talbot Donaldson.
  -read pp. 33-55
• Week 12
• Pastoral Care by Gregory the Great.
  -read part I and part III: prologue - chapter 14
• Pastoral Care by Gregory the Great .
  -read part III: chapter 15-22
• Week 13
• Pastoral Care by Gregory the Great.
  -read part III: chapter 23-27 and part IV
• The Discarded Image by C.S. Lewis.
  -read chapter 1
• Week 14
• Turning Points by Mark Noll.
  -read chapter 5
• The Song of Roland, trans. Dorothy Sayers.
  -read her introduction
• Week 15
• The Song of Roland, trans. Dorothy Sayers.
  -read parts 1-137
• The Song of Roland, trans. Dorothy Sayers.
  -read parts 138-188
• Week 16
• The Song of Roland, trans. Dorothy Sayers.
  -read parts 189-291
• Turning Points by Mark Noll.
  -read chapter 6
• Week 17
• Medieval Philosophy, ed. John Wippel.
  -read St. Anselm excerpt pages 153-162
• Medieval Philosophy, ed. John Wippel.
  -read St. Anselm excerpt pages 163-174
• Week 18
• Roots of American Order by Russell Kirk.
  -read chapter 6
• FINAL EXAM

 

• Week 19
• Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot.
  -read part 1
• Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot.
  -read part 2
• Week 20
• The Magna Charta by James Daugherty.
  -read pp. 1-80
• The Magna Charta by James Daugherty.
  -read pp. 81-133
• Week 21
• Aquinas: The Dumb Ox by G.K. Chesterton.
  -read chapters 1-3
• Aquinas: The Dumb Ox by G.K. Chesterton.
  -read chapters 4 and 7
• Week 22
• Selected Writings by Thomas Aquinas.
  -read introduction and chapter 6
• Selected Writings by Thomas Aquinas.
  -read Article 5 of chapter 10
• Week 23
• The Art of Courtly Love by Andreas Capellanus
• The Inferno by Dante, trans. Robert Pinsky.
  -read cantos 1-10
• Week 24
• The Inferno by Dante, trans. Robert Pinsky.
  -read cantos 11-27
• The Inferno by Dante, trans. Robert Pinsky.
  -read cantos 28-34
• Week 25
• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, trans. J.R.R. Tolkien.
  -read parts 1-64
• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, trans. J.R.R. Tolkien.
  -read parts 65-101
• Week 26
• Foxe's Book of Martyrs by John Foxe.
  -read chapters 3-4
• Piers Plowman by William Langland, trans. E. Talbot Donaldson.
  -read introduction, prologue and passus 1-2
• Week 27
• Piers Plowman by William Langland, trans. E. Talbot Donaldson.
  -read passus 3-10
• Piers Plowman by William Langland, trans. E. Talbot Donaldson.
  -read passus 11-13
• Week 28
• Piers Plowman by William Langland, trans. E. Talbot Donaldson.
  -read passus 14-20
• Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, trans. David Wrigh.
  -read intro and prologue
• Week 29
• Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, trans. David Wright.
  -read "Knight" and "Nun's Priest" tales
• Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, trans. David Wright .
  -read "Oxford Scholar's" and "Pardoner's" tales, "Parson's Prologue" and "Retraction"
• Week 30
• The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis, ed. Harold Gardiner.
  -read intro and books 1-2
• The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis, ed. Harold Gardiner.
  -read book 3:1-13 and book 4:1-5
• Week 31
• Le Morte Darthur by Thomas Malory.
  -read, book 1:1-6, 25 and 27; book 3:1-2; book 4:1; book 6:1,3,10-13,16-18
• Le Morte Darthur by Thomas Malory.
  -read book 9:1-9; book 11:1-9; book 12:4-10; book 13:4-8, 20
• Week 32
• Le Morte Darthur by Thomas Malory.
  -read book 18:1-7 and all of books 20-21
• The Prince by Machiavelli, trans. C.E. Detmold .
  -read introduction and chapters 1-6
• Week 33
• The Prince by Machiavelli, trans. C.E. Detmold .
  -read chapters 7-26
• Utopia by Thomas More.
  -read introduction, More to Giles, book 1 to p. 23
• Week 34
• Utopia by Thomas More.
  -read pages 24-84
• Utopia by Thomas More.
  -read pages 85-111
• Week 35
• Essential Erasmus by by John P. Dolan.
  - read "Praise of Folly" pages
• Essential Erasmus by by John P. Dolan.
  -read "Praise of Folly" pages
• Week 36
• Essential Erasmus by by John P. Dolan.
  -read "Inquiry Concerning Faith"
• FINAL EXAM

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Links to other courses:

• Ancient
• Reformation & Enlightenment
• Modernity

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