The CatholicUniversity of America
School of Theology and Religious Studies
TRS 727:01 Introduction to Theology in the Middle Ages
Spring 2009
Regan 027 3 Credit Hours
Monday 3:10-5:40
Instructor contact information:
Joshua C. Benson E-mail:
Office: Caldwell 125-4Office hours: 12:30-3:00 MWF and by appointment
Phone: (202) 319-6887
This syllabus is open to amendment
I. Course Description
Introduces some of the key figures of Medieval Christian theology, their texts and historical context. The course will concentrate primarily on Western figures from the ninth through the fourteenth centuries.
II. Instructional Methods (Implementation of course description)
This course will largely follow the trajectory of Jaroslav Pelikan’s work, The Growth of Medieval Theology, to introduce thinkers, issues and contexts of theology in the Middle Ages from the ninth to the fourteenth century. The course will focus on Anselm, the Victorines, Bonaventure and Aquinas, though other figures and movements will be introduced.
III. Required Texts
A. Books
1. Anselm of Canterbury. The Major Works, ed. Davies and Evans (Oxord: Oxford University Press, 1998).
2. Bonaventure, Breviloquium, trans. Monti (St. Bonaventure: The Franciscan Institute, 2005)
3. Bonaventure, The Journey of the Mind into God, ed. Brown (Hackett)
4. The Didascalicon of Hugh of St. Victor. A Medieval Guide to the Arts, trans. Jerome Taylor
5. The Cistercian World. Monastic Writers of the Twelfth Century
6. Early Medieval Theology, ed. McCracken
7. Jaroslav Pelikan, The Growth of Medieval Theology
Additional Required Readings available on-line
IV. Course Goals
1. Analyze key texts of medieval theology
2. Understand the thought of medieval figures in historical context
3. Evaluate secondary literature
V. Goals for Student Learning
1. Obtain a broad appreciation for theology in the middle ages
2. Hone the skills required to read medieval theologians in their historical context
3. Improve writing skills – hopefully resulting in a conference paper or journal article submission
VI. Course Requirements (See handouts or relevant parts of the syllabus for descriptions)
Participation – 20% = Includes attendance, active participation in class and reports
Research Paper – 80%
VII. Expectations and policies
A. Academic honesty:Academic honesty is expected of all CUA students. Faculty are required to initiate the imposition of sanctions when they find violations of academic honesty, such as plagiarism, improper use of a student’s own work, cheating, and fabrication.
The following sanctions are presented in the University procedures related to Student Academic Dishonesty (from “The presumed sanction for undergraduate students for academic dishonesty will be failure for the course. There may be circumstances, however, where, perhaps because of an undergraduate student’s past record, a more serious sanction, such as suspension or expulsion, would be appropriate. In the context of graduate studies, the expectations for academic honesty are greater, and therefore the presumed sanction for dishonesty is likely to be more severe, e.g., expulsion. ...In the more unusual case, mitigating circumstances may exist that would warrant a lesser sanction than the presumed sanction.”
Please review the complete texts of the University policy and procedures regarding Student Academic Dishonesty, including requirements for appeals, at and
B. Other Policies or Expectations.
1) Attendance Policy: Students are expected to attend all classes. One unexcused absence will be permitted without penalty. (To be an excused absence, students must document that the reason was either a personal emergency – a doctor’s note will suffice – or a school sponsored activity requiring absence from class.) Subsequent absences will impact the student’s final grade: for each class missed after the third, three percentage points will be deducted from the final grade. Three unexcused absences may result in failure. Tardiness is highly discouraged and if a repeated pattern of negligent tardiness is evidenced, it will also affect the student’s final grade.
2) Cell Phones / Laptops: Remember to silence your cell phones before class. Do not take calls, pictures or send text messages during class. If there is an urgent matter that requires you to have your cell phone on, please notify me before class.
You may certainly use laptops to take notes. Be sure to use your laptop for that purpose and not for the purpose of obtaining additional entertainment or creating a multi-dimensional, multi-media experience for you and those around you. Violators will be penalized according to the quantity and quality of their violations.
3) Making up Assignments: You may make up quizzes and tests and hand in papers up to one class later than the scheduled date without penalty. Thus, for example, if the assignment was due on a Monday, you could hand in or make up the assignment without penalty on Wednesday of the same week. You may hand in the assignment later; however, the assignment will be penalized one letter grade for each class day that passes until the assignment is handed in. If extreme necessity demands (a documented medical or personal emergency) further time may be granted for any assignment.
4) Electronic vs. Hard copy submission: Please submit hard copies of your assignments. Exceptions will be made for certain assignments if needed.
VIII. Campus Resources for student support:
A. Accommodations for students with disabilities: Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss specific needs. Please contact Disability Support Services (at 202 319-5211, room 207 PryzbylaCenter) to coordinate reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities. To read about the services and policies, please visit the website:
B. WritingCenter: Since this class involves a good deal of writing, you may wish to take advantage of the services of the writing center, located at 111 O’Boyle Hall.
IX. Assessment
A. Grade Scale and Standards:
A range: Superior, excellent, outstanding
A = 100-94
A- = 93-90
The assignment demonstrates critical, informed, and creative theological inquiry that reflects a syntheticunderstanding of essential theological/historical concepts. The assignment demonstrates insight beyond what is normally expected. This grade presupposes carefully nuanced reasoning and writing that is free from material, structural and grammatical errors. The differentiation between an A and A- largely depends on the assignment’s astute reasoning and engaging writing style in relation to peer work for the same assignment.
B range: Very Good, Good
B+ = 89-87
B = 86-83
B- = 82-80
The assignment demonstrates ready command of full range of concepts and shows some critical, informed, and creative inquiry that reflects above average understanding of essential theological/historical concepts. This means the student has produced an assignment that is free from material, structural and grammatical errors. The differentiation between a B+ and B largely depends on the assignment’s creativity in relation to peer work for the same assignment.
C range: Okay, Acceptable
C+ = 79-77
C = 76-73
C- = 72-70
The assignment demonstrates satisfactory ability to describe the overall picture and essential concepts in a summary manner. This means the student has completed the assignment in a manner involving no significant errors. Material may not be free from structural and grammatical errors. Nuanced reasoning is not demonstrated. The differentiation between a C+ and C largely depends on the assignment’s organization in relation to peer work for the same assignment.
D range: Below average
D = 69-65
The assignment demonstrates reasoning that is neither carefully reasoned nor coherently presented; writing isinsufficient in depth of insight and/or use of texts; presentation is not free from material error in structure, spelling and grammar. This means that the student failed to respond adequately to the assignment and its intentions.
F range: Unsatisfactory
F = 64-0
In one or more of the following ways the student: 1) failed to turn in the assignment; 2) did not respond to the assignment as given; 3) submitted work so thoroughly flawed as to indicate that the student did not make a serious effort; 4) was involved in plagiarism or cheating.
X. Course Schedule
WEEK ONE
Introduction
MJanuary 12
WEEK TWO
M January 19 MLK DAY: NO CLASS
WEEK THREE
Prologue: Learning to Read
MJanuary 26
READ Hugh of St. Victor, Didascalicon
WEEK FOUR
Integrity of the Catholic Tradition
MFebruary 2
READVincent of Lerins, Commonitory in McCracken 36-89; Pelikan, 1-49
WEEK FIVE
Beyond the Augustinian Synthesis
MFebruary 9
READRadbertus and Ratramnus in McCracken 90-175; Pelikan 50-105
WEEK SIX
The Plan of Salvation
MFebruary 16
READ Anselm, Cur Deus Homo, 260-356; Meditation on Human Redemption (on-line);
Pelikan, 106-157
WEEK SEVEN
Communication of Grace
MFebruary 23
READ249-282 The Cistercian World; Pelikan, 158-214
The One True Faith
WFebruary 25
READAnselm, Meditations (on-line); Monologion, Proslogion, 3-122; Pelikan, 215-267
WEEK EIGHT
MMarch 2 SPRING BREAK: NO CLASS
WEEK NINE
Richard of St. Victor: De Trinitate
MMarch 9
READDe Trinitate (on-line)
WEEK TEN
Theology at the University
MMarch 16
READ Grant,1-147, 207-282; Robert Grosseteste, Hexaemeron (selections – online); Aquinas, Inaugural Lectures (on-line); Summa Theologiae Q. 1 (on-line); Bonaventure, prologue, Breviloquium, 1-23
WEEK ELEVEN
Bonaventure: Breviloquium (1-3)
MMarch 23
READ Bonaventure, Breviloquium, 27-130
WEEK TWELVE
Bonaventure: Breviloquium (4-7)
MMarch 30
READ Bonaventure, Breviloquium, 131-301
WEEK THIRTEEN
Aquinas: Summa Theologiae
MApril 6
READ
WEEK FOURTEEN
MApril 13 EASTER BREAK: NO CLASS
WEEK FIFTEEN
Scotus
MApril 20
READ Selections (on-line)
WEEK SIXTEEN
Epilogue:
MApril 27
READ Bonaventure, Itinerarium mentis in Deum; Pelikan, 268-307