to syllabus

Unit 11: The Medieval World View.

readings:

Hunt, The Making of the West: Peoples and Cultures, ch. 12 (pp. 435-464).
Lualdi, Sources of the Making of the West: Peoples and Cultures, ch. 12, pp. 203-208.

QUIZ will be on Key Terms in Hunt, p. 464.

Questions on Hunt

Ch. 12 (pp. 435-464)

1. Why and how did the Church try to "purify" society in 1215-1320? (For instance, what new policies and institutions did it create and why?)

2. Did laypeople strictly follow the instructions of the Church or did they often have their own independent approach to faith? Explain.

3. In what sense/ways did the Scholastics synthesize (mix together to create something new) Christian and pre-Christian ways of understanding the world?

4. In what sense/ways were artists in different art forms (architects, musicians, painters, etc.) also trying to synthesize Christian ideals (the sacred) with worldly subjects (the profane) and pre-Christian (and even secular) approaches to art? Give examples!

5. By 1320 Imperial power had grown weak in Germany, but monarchy had grown stronger in France and (to a lesser extent) England. Explain why this had happened in each case, and how new institutions and methods of governing had shaped the development of monarchy in France and England.

6. What did the new policies and institutions introduced by the monarchs of France and England in 1215-1320 mean for the power and authority of the Pope? Explain.

7. What impact did the Mongol invasion have on Rus (Russia)?

BIG QUESTION: Think about the entire chapter. The authors say (on p. 435) that in 1215-1320 people at all levels of society expected "to find harmony, order, and unity" in the world (p. 435). Does all of the evidence in this chapter show that there really was "greater harmony, order, and unity" in religion, art, or politics in 1215-1320? Explain!

Questions on Lualdi

We will focus on one document for this unit: Abbot Suger, "The Abby Church of St. Denis" (pp. 203-208).

Answer the "Six Questions" for this document:

Who wrote it, where, and when?
What type of document is it?
Who was the intended audience?
What was the author's goal?
What is the author's main point?
What does it tell us about that society?

OK. Here is the main discussion question for this document:

1. Based on the details in this letter, how did Suger understand the relationship between art (including architecture) and the pursuit of holiness?