FINALITÀ
The students will study the crisis that faced the Church in Europe during the end of the 7th century until the mid-8th century (692-750), such as the barbarian kingdoms in different places in Europe. We will evaluate this situation in comparison with the Church in the eastern Empire. Then, the “Dark ages” and the birth of the new situation of the history life of the Church. We will treat, also, three main issues: Iconoclast controversies, the missionary activity of the byzantine Church and the separation of the 1st and 2nd Church.
In this semester we will focus our study on the role of the Church in the western society from the end of the 11th century until the end of the 12th century. The course will analyse the situation of the Church after 1153-1294. Here the following issues will be discussed: The Papacy and the life of Christendom during the middle of the 12th and 13th century, the Byzantine Church and the crises in the epoch of the Crusades. Finally the course will shed light on the life of the Church and its rule in western society during the 14th-15th century. Also the fall of Byzantium and the effect on the Church will be discussed.
ARGOMENTI
Course Outline:
Besides getting to know the facts, personalities of this eventful period, students will discover the successes and shortcomings of the evangelization of Europe, evaluate the different movements of reform in the Latin Church, appraise the achievements of the 13th century, analyse from different points of view the impact of the Crusades, explain the different development of the Eastern Churches, explain the different forces at work in the 14th-15th centuries. They will be able to value the long term movements within the life of the Churches.
Learning Outcomes:
The students will be able: - To acquire knowledge about the historical context and the main events, personalities of the Christianity from the end of the 7th century until the 15th century as a following. - To know the continuity and the changes of the Christian thoughts in the western and eastern Church. - To collect knowledge about the Church during the Charlemagne era in Europe and the relationship with the Church of Constantinople during this period. - To acquire knowledge of the Church during the crusader’s period in Europe and in East. - To realise the situation of the Church and the effects of the fall of Constantinople on Christianity. - To write a scientific essay and to improve their research skills. - To improve their presentation skills during the course, so as to summarise one chapter of the required course within fifteen minutes. - To deal with different historical resources concerning the history of the Church in order to create critical thinking of these resources.
TESTI
ANDERSON J.D., Kennan E.T. in St. Bernard of Clairvaux: Five Books on Consideration: Advice to a Pope (Kalamazoo, Michigan 1976); CHADWICK H., East and West: The Making of a Rift in the Church: From Apostolic Times until the Council of Florence (Oxford 2003); CHRISTOPHE P., 2000 ans d’Histoire de l’Eglise (Paris, Mame-Desclée 2012); CROSS E.L.-LIVINGSTONE E.A, The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (London, OUP 1974); DEANESLY M., A History of the Medieval Church 590-1500 (London, Obscure Press 1969); DUCHESNE L., The Beginnings of the temporal Sovereignty of the Popes A.A. 754-1073 (London 1908); DUFFY E., Saints and Sinners: a History of the Popes (London, Yale University Press 2014); DVORNIK F., The Photian Schism: History and Legend (Cambridge 1948); FREITAG A., The Universe Atlas of the Christian World (London, Burns & Oats 1963); HAY D., Europe in the XIV-XVth centuries (London 1970); LOGAN F., Donald. A History of the Church in the Middle Ages (London, Routledge 2007); LAITSNER M., Intellectual Heritage of Early Middle Age (Ithaca 1957); LAWRENCE C.H., Medieval Monasticism (London, Routledge Press 1984); MEYENDORFF J.-PAPADAKIS A., The Christian East and the Rise of Papacy: The Church 1071-1453 (New York, St Vladimir’s Seminary Press 1994); MOORE R.L., The Origins of European Dissent (London, 1977); MUNDY J.H., Europe in the High Middle Ages 1150-1309 (London, 1991); TIERNEY B., The Crisis of Church and State 1050-1300 (New Jersey 1964); ULLMANN W., The Papacy and the Political Ideas in the Middle Ages (London, OUP 1976); WARE T., The Orthodox Church (London, Penguin 1963).