Medieval Religion: its topicality, methods and sources
| From: | Th 22-06-2023 12:00 |
| Until: | Tu 27-06-2023 16:00 |
| Where: | Courtroom, Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, Oude Boteringestraat 38, 9712 GK Groningen and hybridly |
In society today, medieval religion is omnipresent. This is not only true in European city- and village-scapes, where medieval churches are still dominant features, but also in popular media such as games and television as well as in politics, where the Middle Ages are invoked either as the epitome of backwardness and cruelty, or as the golden age of white supremacy, true spirituality, and selfless heroism (to name but a few of the widely diverse images that the phrase ‘Middle Ages’ gives rise to). In the summer school students will be challenged by specialists in the field of medieval religion to position and develop their own research in relevant scholarly and cultural contexts. The instructors will give masterclasses from their own specialties (e.g. intellectual history, heretical and reform movements, interreligious relations, liturgy, gender and diversity). Groningen is an eminent place for a school on medieval religion, not only because of the unique expertise of the staff, added to with lecturers from the USA (funded by Fulbright) and Nijmegen, but also because its land- and cityscapes offer a clear example of the presence of the Middle Ages.
The school will be offered on site and hybridly.
Learning aims
After this summer school:
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Students can situate medievalist research, especially their own, in current scholarly, societal and cultural debates.
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Students can critically reflect on the uses of contemporary theories of religion to the study of the Middle Ages and, if helpful, apply these creatively in their medievalist research.
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Students can critically reflect on the contemporary relevance and topicality of medieval studies.
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At an advanced level, students get to be trained in the setting up of medievalist research projects and the study of sources, with an eye to publication and acquiring funding.Students can assess sources and literature in the interest of their own projects as shown in a presentation and a reflection paper.
Target groups:
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Graduate Students .e.g. Master and Research Master students
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Postgraduate students e.g. PhD students and postdocs.
ECTS
5 ECTS
Assessment
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Participation
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Presentation on the last day on how to use the material of the summer school in one’s research
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Reflection paper on how to use the material of the summer school in one’s research. 1500 words max.
Academic coordinator
Dr. Mathilde van Dijk, Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, Oude Boteringestraat 38, 9712 GK Groningen, mathilde.van.dijk rug.nl.
Programme
June 22nd
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12.00-13.00
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Arrival
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13.00-13.15
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Welcome by Dr. Mathilde van Dijk (University of Groningen)
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13.15-15.15
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Workshop 1: theoretical approaches
Prof. Dr. Kocku von Stuckrad (University of Groningen) Not ‘dark’ at all; the European ‘Middle Ages’ as a hotspot of religious pluralism
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15.15-15.45
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Coffee and tea
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15.45-17.45
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Workshop 2: gender and diversity
Dr. Mathilde van Dijk
Gender and Diversity: Medieval, medievalist and medievalesque |
June 23rd
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9.00-11.00
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Workshop 3: religious dissidence
Prof. Dr. Daniela Mueller (Radboud University of Nijmegen) Medieval times, Church debates and heresy: the Cathars in the spotlight |
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11.00-11.15
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Coffee and Tea
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11.15-13.15
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Workshop 4: pluralism
Dr. Edmund Hayes (Radboud University of Nijmegen)
Purity |
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13.15-14.00
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Lunch
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14.00-17.00
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Excursion led by Egbert van der Werff
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18.00-
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Dinner
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June 24th
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10.00-12.00
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Workshop 5: liturgy
Dr. Andrew Irving
Medieval Liturgy
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12.00-13.00
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Lunch
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13.00-17.00
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Self-study by students
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June 25th
Free; social event from 16.00, picknick in the Noorderplantsoen
June 26th
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10.00-12.00
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Workshop 6: Reform
Prof. Dr. Christopher Bellitto
Medieval Church Reform: Words and Deeds, Successes and Failures |
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12.00-13.00
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Lunch
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13.00-17.00
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Self-study students
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19.00-20.30
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Keynote Bellitto
Politics and religion in the Middle Ages and today: thoughts of an American Medievalist
Open to everyone
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June 27th
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9.00-11.00
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Student presentations
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11.00-11.30
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Coffee and tea
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11.30-13.30
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Student presentations
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13.45-15.45
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Student presentations
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15.45-16.00
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Closing
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