Students will acquire a good set of tools to carry on their exploration of the impact of U.S. foreign policy on the rest of the world. The Middle Ages 3 credits A survey of the Middle Ages from the rise of Christianity and the fall of the Roman Empire to the fourteenth century. A variety of approaches will be taken including intellectual, social, and economic history and the examination of primary sources. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of religion in defining each culture. The Renaissance 3 credits This course proceeds from the assumption that the Renaissance refers to a particular cultural movement in Western history.
Emphasis is placed on reading primary sources.
Non-traditional definitions are also discussed including the role of women in the Renaissance. The course emphasizes Italian history but covers the Northern Renaissance as well. The Reformation 3 credits The medieval origins of the Reformation traced back over the course of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries is emphasized. Much of the course is devoted to exploring the philosophical and theological nature of the Reformation but not to the exclusion of social, economic and political factors. Finally, the effects of the Reformation on Western history are also explored.