CHAMINADE UNIVERSITY of HONOLULU

SYLLABUS

HI/RE 322 – MEDIEVAL LIFE and THOUGHT

Willis H A Moore, Instructor – H 208-C on campus, 808-782-3562 = voice/text
willis.moore@chaminade.edu – office hours/consultation by appointment

BACKGROUND STATEMENT:
CHAMINADE UNIVERSITY is a Catholic Christian, Marianist, University.  While not all faculty nor staff nor students are Roman Catholic Christians, we do share Marianist values in what we do, teach, and live.  In HI/RE 322 there are two Marianist values which are specially important:
1.	FORMATION IN FAITH - - - while it is not the desire of Chaminade to make “Catholic Christians” of students, this course specially is a look at the formation of the Faith in Western Europe which came to be called “The Church of Rome.”  The Roman version of the Christian Church spread throughout Europe from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to what would be called Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, and Romania in the 20th Century.  This course studies the development of the Papal/bishops/clergy – dominant socio-political-spiritual situation in Western Europe. This unitary system would hold through the 14th Century when “cracks” would begin to appear in the uniformity and conformity of the Roman Church.
2.	ADAPTATION and CHANGE - - - a reason for university – level education is to prepare for adaptation and change.  In many disciplines the “facts” you must learn now, and be tested on, will change in your lifetime.  Similarly, Medieval Europe gradually came to grips with change.....from rigid clinging to old notions of the Universe, of God, and of sin to newer notions based on observations of the physical World and also upon various forms of reason.  As Europe began to reach out in the 16th Century, especially to the Americas, the civilizations there essentially collapsed from their inability to adopt, adapt, and/or change to new circumstances.  Medieval Europe, thus, would effectiv
3.	ely “take over the World” during the following centuries.

A text is required:  MEDIEVAL EUROPE: A short history.
By JUDITH M BENNETT, 11th or later edition, McGraw Hill publishers.  (Reading assignments will be based on this text and on the Internet.)

The Instructor's job:
Through lectures, and commentary on written assignments, the INSTRUCTOR will focus on the Political situations in Europe after the decay and passing of Roman Authority.  The INSTRUCTOR will also focus on the development of THE CHURCH in Western Europe - - its structure, discipline, and actual workings.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Principally through short essays, are you able to demonstrate knowledge of the “Who, what, when, and where” of history?  More importantly, are you able to demonstrate understanding of “why” and of “so what” regarding events, personalities, situations, and circumstances?  Those taking RE 322 will of necessity focus on the aspects of religion, of the Church, pertinent to Medieval Europe.  Those taking HI 322 will want to focus on the historical personages and developments of concepts like “king”, “emperor”, lord, noble, peasant, and bourgeoisie.

STUDENT SUCCESS AND GRADE:
Each week there will be one or two essay-type questions, requiring 300-600 words and a bibliography.  These weekly essays will generally be worth 5-6 points each.  There will be a MID TERM EXAMINATION and also a FINAL EXAMINATION - - each is worth 20 points.  Additionally, you will be given an opportunity to visit the HONOLULU MUSEUM OF ART, to view one or more movies pertinent to MEDIEVAL EUROPE, to visit St Andrew's Cathedral in Downtown Honolulu to experience a “medieval” cathedral as best possible in Hawai'i....these will involve bonus points.
If your point total is 90+ points, you will earn “A” for the course
                                       80+ points, you will earn “B” for the course
                                       70+ points, you will earn “C” for the course
                                       60+ points, you will earn “D” for the course
                                       59 or below is an “F”

This  class uses the  CANVAS  learning management system:
There will be 10 weekly modules, each containing reading assignment, writing assignment(s), and extra credit opportunities.
YOU MAY SUBMIT WORK through CANVAS.....but note you may not submit late work in CANVAS....the system will not permit you to do so.
Or
You may submit work as an attachment (pdf, rtf, docx, please) attached to an e-mail:
willis.moore@chaminade.edu
AS A GENERAL RULE, YOU SHOULD READ ONE CHAPTER EACH WEEK IN ADVANCE OF THE WEEK ITSELF; this will help the writing assignments made more relevant sense.
The MID TERM EXAMINATION will be available in week #5; the FINAL EXAMINATION will be available in week #10. ALL WORK IS DUE 72 HOURS FOLLOWING THE LAST MEETING DAY.