This course takes the remarkable holy man, Francis of Assisi, as its guide through an exploration of the medieval Church and the wider cultural phenomenon known as Christendom. In addition to studying Francis in detail, the course will also encounter such subjects as the vibrant sacred architecture of the period, the mystical works of visionary women, the rise of the first universities, and causes and mentalities that guided the earliest crusades.
This course will be offered via distance education in Winter 2023.
Class time for this course will be divided between asynchronous pre-recorded lectures (2 hours each week) and live classes via Zoom (1 hour each week). Prior to the first live class, students should view both recorded lectures (available on Moodle) and complete the reading for that day.
Live classes will take place on Thursdays, 1:00–2:00 pm (Pacific Time). Students who cannot participate due to their time zone will have access to recordings of the live classes for one week. Please notify the instructor if you are unable to participate in live sessions