Module THEO3751: Medieval Theology and Spirituality

Department: Theology and Religion

THEO3751: Medieval Theology and Spirituality

Prerequisites

• None.

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• THEO2521

Aims

• To make students critically engage with key features of medieval theology and spirituality and make them reflect on the significance of medieval theology and spirituality for theology today.
• Through the work and influence of medieval theologians and spiritual authors to make students critically reflect on key theological issues, such as the understanding of God as Trinity and the human person; the Christian life of virtue; the relation between faith and reason, or between theory and practice; the nature of salvation; sanctification.

Content

• This module will offer an in-depth exposition of key aspects of medieval theology and spirituality, normally ranging from the legacy of Augustine and Gregory the Great via the Carolingian renaissance to the development of systematic theology (e.g., from modest beginnings in Anselm and Abelard, via Peter Lombard to the achievements of high scholasticism) and beyond. Until the time of Meister Eckhart theology and spirituality were not as yet entirely separate disciplines. This course will therefore consider both theology and spirituality. It will study Christian spirituality (e.g., Cistercian spirituality, spirituality of mendicant orders, Rhineland mystics and spiritual authors of the Low Countries,…) from its early-monastic origins to the end of the medieval period (Devotio Moderna).
• The inclusion of spirituality has the added advantage that a limited selection of women authors (e.g., Hildegard of Bingen, Hadewijch, Beatrice of Nazareth, Mechthild of Magdeburg, Catherine of Siena, the Author of The Evangelic Pearl) can find a legitimate place in the curriculum. Topics to be discussed may include the understanding of God as Trinity; the nature of language about God; union with God; the sacramental understanding of the world; the multifarious ways of reading the Scriptures; the role of Christ; the theological virtues; the radical theocentricity of medieval theology and spirituality.

Learning Outcomes

• A systematic understanding of key aspects of medieval thought and spirituality through exposure to primary texts and engagement with relevant secondary literature.
• A critical evaluation of the achievements and limitations of medieval thought in light of our contemporary theological concerns.
• An in-depth understanding of the development of Christian thought and its significance for the Christian life in the medieval period, and how it is shaped by its historical context.
• A profound insight into the significance of medieval thought and spirituality on subsequent Christian thinking.

• An ability to interpret and evaluate critically medieval writings on the basis of primary and secondary sources, and to situate them in their intellectual and cultural context.
• Development of the ability to engage critically with theological arguments and be able to situate them in their socio-historical context.

• Ability to grasp, summarize, and critically evaluate concepts, arguments and knowledge in written form.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Lectures will be supplemented with 10 seminars, in order to enhance subject-specific knowledge and understanding through engagement with primary texts, interaction with fellow-students and staff, promoting awareness of different approaches and hermeneutical perspectives, thereby enhancing skills in the analysis of texts, concepts and arguments.
• Formative assignments develop subject-knowledge and enhance student skills in the acquisition of knowledge through reading and research, and in the structured presentation of knowledge in written form.
• Summative essays assess the subject-specific knowledge and understanding by engaging with primary texts and secondary literature.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Students will be asked to write ten 300-word response papers to the texts to be studied in the seminars.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University