Conversion and Conflict:

Religious Life and Historical Change

History 410--Advanced Seminar

Block 4, 2005-6

Dario Biocca (Palmer 208A, mailto:dbiocca@coloradocollege.edu)

and Carol Neel (Palmer 233E, cneel@coloradocollege.edu)

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION AND REQUIREMENTS

History 410 in all versions is designed as an a element in the exit-level sequence of Colorado College's History Department.  That is, it is intended (although in individual students' cases the order of courses may differ) to fall between History 399 (on the history and theory of historical study) and the senior essay or thesis.  HY 410 assumes both that students have extensive prior historical and historiographical experience and that participants are beginning to consider the topics and materials in which they will respectively fashion their final research projects for the major.  It thus provides a bridge between students' courses in the various regions according to which the history major is constructed and the article-length projects with which they will conclude their undergraduate work.  It provides the opportunity for young historians experienced in working with primary sources and thoughtful about historiographical perspectives to address, in common discussion and individual papers, a single historical theme important to several periods and cultures.  After reading history, writing history and together critiquing sources, established historians' views and each others' approaches and arguments in History 410, majors will be able confidently to frame, research and present problems of particular interest to them in History 415 (Senior Essay) or 420 (Thesis).

In this instance, History 410 cast as "Conversion and Conflict: Religious Life and Historical Change" will embrace important critical approaches and source works on the nexus of belief structures, social life, intracultural conversion and intercultural encounter in periods from Mediterranean antiquity to the twentieth century and in regions including the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, and East Asia.  Six common readings will gather students' varied historical experience in group discussion.  Each class member will 

Because this course is a seminar in which students' growth depends heavily on their interaction, final assessment will be based on both discussion participation and final essay, weighted equally.  

This block, an atypically large History 410 class, is fortunate to have two staff.  Dario Biocca, a specialist in modern Europe, will generally facilitate discussion of modern texts and serve as principal reader of student essays grounded in the nineteenth and twentieth century while Carol Neel, a medievalist, will principally support discussion of earlier works and student research treating related materials.  Both instructors will participate actively in all common discussions and will together shape and critique essay projects. 

 

COURSE MATERIALS

The following works are available for purchase in the Colorado College Bookstore.  Although some of these texts are available in other editions or translations, members of the class will find it useful to read and comment on versions with identical texts and pagination.  Because the seminar format will require constant reference to texts--and because most students will want to mark important passages in their own copies--students should use their own copies of each work. 

Silone, Ignazio. Bread and Wine. New York: Signet, 1977.

Menocal, Maria Rosa. The Ornament of the World: How Muslims, Jews and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain. Boston: Back Bay Books, 2003.

Las Casas, Bartolomé de. Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies. New York: Penguin, 1999.

Spence, Jonathan The Memory Palace of Matteo Ricci. New York: Penguin, 1985.

Derounian-Stodola, Kathryn. Women’s Indian Captivity Narratives. New York: Penguin, 1998.

Nock, A.D. Conversion: The Old and the New in Religion from Alexander the Great to Augustine of Hippo. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 1998.

 

SCHEDULE OF CLASS DISCUSSIONS AND WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS

Unless otherwise announced, class will meet at 1 PM in Palmer ***.  Instructors will introduce common readings, suggest appropriate study questions, and identify text sections for especially focused consideration at the meeting before respective texts are addressed.  Discussions in Weeks 1 and 2 will each be cooperatively led by teams of students.  Week 3's student project presentations will require that each class member distribute photocopied prospectus and bibliography.    

 

WEEK 1 (November 28)

Monday                Introduction   

Tuesday                Silone discussion

Wednesday           READING/LIBRARY RESEARCH DAY 

Thursday              Menocal discussion

                             8 PM FILM:  Kingdom of Heaven

Friday                   INDIVIDUAL CONFERENCES WITH INSTRUCTORS

 

WEEK 2 (December 5)

Monday                Las Casas discussion

Tuesday                TWO-PAGE PROSPECTUS OF INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH PROJECTS DUE 3 PM

Wednesday            Spence discussion

Thursday               INDIVIDUAL CONFERENCES WITH INSTRUCTORS

Friday                    Women's Indian Captivity Narratives discussion

 

WEEK 3 (December 12)

Monday                 STUDENT PROJECT PRESENTATIONS 

Tuesday                 STUDENT PROJECT PRESENTATIONS

Wednesday            STUDENT PROJECT PRESENTATIONS

Thursday               RESEARCH PAPER DRAFTS DUE 3 PM            

Friday                    Class breakfast 9 AM (2404 Constellation Drive)

                              INDIVIDUAL CONFERENCES WITH INSTRUCTORS       

 

WEEK 4 (December 19)

Monday                 Nock discussion

Tuesday                 WRITING DAY

Wednesday            FINAL ESSAYS DUE NOON