Course Number/Name: HIST 3090 | Reformations: Turmoil in Europe

Instructor and email address: Michelle Wolfe |

Core Course Information

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES:

The Protestant Reformation permanently fractured European Christianity into competing doctrines and denominations. Political rulers attempted to nationalize religious belief. Meanwhile, individuals willingly underwent martyrdom in the name of religious conscience. Gunpowder and bibles collided, as the clash of competing Christianities sparked bloody civil and continental wars. These conflicts caused a level of demographic and economic devastation that would go unmatched until World War I.

In this class, we will analyze those events using evidence from primary sources and concepts from the historical and social study of religion. Through comparative readings and videos, we will also use some aspects of the Reformations and Wars of Religion to reflect upon certain contemporary religious conflicts in the U.S. and the larger world.

By the end of the class, you should have developed an understanding of Reformation Europe's main cultural and political influences and outcomes. You should have also explored, to some degree, the impact that the Reformations continue to have on Western societies today. Finally, through our readings, assignments and discussions, you should have gained practice in the analysis of primary evidence and the crafting of short analytical essays.

EXPECTATIONS FOR STUDENTS IN COURSE:

All readings and videos for this class will be available online through the class’s Canvas site. The average weekly reading load will be approximately 20-40 pages and will consist of a combination of primary sources and scholarly articles.

I do not take attendance; however, I expect you to attend class regularly, do all the assigned readings and come to class prepared to discuss them. I am aware that some students have difficulty with public speaking. I will incorporate some short 5-minute in-class writing exercises and some small group-work to help students with social anxiety to participate in alternate ways.

Twenty percent of your grade will come from your class attendance and participation. The other eighty percent will be based on five 750-word (three double-spaced pages) essays; you may drop the lowest of those five grades. For each essay, you will receive a question on Friday. The essay will be due the following Monday.

EXAMS/MAJOR ASSIGNMENT PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE:

The tentative schedule for your short essay assignments is as follows:

  • September 4th
  • September 25th
  • October 23rd
  • November 13th
  • December 11th

I reserve the right to change these dates as we go through the course with reasonable notice to you; some topics may, for example, take longer than I anticipated. When your essay is graded and returned, you will be given an opportunity to revise and correct it in order to learn from your mistakes, better your understanding of the material, and improve your grade. However, the revised essay must show improvementin order to earn a higher grade. The mere fact of submitting a revised essay does not guarantee an improved grade.