Integrated Humanities: The Medieval World

This integrated Medieval Humanities course builds upon the Ancient World course and surveys the history of Western Civilization from ancient times through the early Middle Ages and from the early Middle Ages to the rise of the Renaissance. Students study major developments including the decline of Rome and rise of Christianity, the Byzantine Empire, the Islamic world, the formation of medieval Europe, the role of the Church, and the flowering of medieval civilization in learning, literature, science, and architecture. As students expand and deepen their knowledge of medieval civilization, they make connections across the curriculum to philosophy, theology, literature, writing, and Latin, creating a framework for understanding the past and its influence on the present. Students construct and expand written timelines, examine maps and artwork, watch and discuss videos on Western Civilization, write informative research papers on topics of historical interest, and participate in bi-weekly Socratic seminars. Through primary sources and selections from medieval literature, including Beowulf, The Song of Roland, Saint Augustine’s Confessions and The City of God, The Rule of Saint Benedict, Dante’s Divine Comedy, and Shakespeare’s King Lear, students synthesize their reading, writing, and discussion skills to engage with enduring human questions concerning virtue, moral identity, and the consequences of human decisions. Writing includes analytical, informative, and narrative forms, culminating in a major thesis paper integrating literature and history, while continued independent reading and seminar engagement foster a readiness for lifelong inquiry.