HIS-20072 - Module Specification
School of Humanities
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2024/25

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2024/25

In late 996 or early 997 when Count Fulk Nerra of Anjou together with armed retainers entered the cloister of Saint-Martin in Tours and did extensive damage, they probably presumed that no power could force them to make amends for their atrocious attack on unarmed and innocent monks but they were wrong! Some time later Fulk begged forgiveness in the church and signaled his humiliation by going barefoot.
Lords and knights are credited with having extensive authority in the middle ages and their castles were undeniably symbols of often-deadly power in medieval Europe. Monks and monasteries, however, had access to even greater powers and as such wielded tremendous influence over medieval society, especially aristocratic society. Monks after all were the original milites Christi, or soldiers of Christ, battling demons on behalf of Christian society.
This module explores the complicated relationships that arose between aristocratic society in the world and its generally aristocratic counterpart cloistered from the world in the pivotal years of c. 900-1250. Whilst providing a general familiarity with the key socio-political and religious developments in medieval Europe during this period, it will also address patronage, the power of women, the role of monasteries in familial strategies and gift networks, the use and abuse of spiritual power and how secular powers benefited by controlling jurisdiction over monasteries.

To introduce students to two of the most prominent features of medieval culture: monasticism and aristocratic society, by exploring the complicated and contradictory relationships that arose between elite lay society in the world and its (often equally) elite religious counterpart ostensibly cloistered from the world in the pivotal years of c.900-1250, in order to advance students' historical and historiographical knowledge using a wide variety of primary and secondary sources.

Intended Learning Outcomes

demonstrate a broad understanding of the complicated relationships that arose between elite lay society and its generally aristocratic counterpart cloistered from the world along with familiarity of the key socio-political and religious developments in the period c.900-1250.: 1,2
read and use contested texts and other source materials critically, while addressing the issues of genre, content, perspective and historicity.: 1,2
develop and support reasoned historical arguments and to present them in a clear and persuasive manner in written work.: 2
evaluate scholarly debates on this topic, in particular the significance of patronage, gift-networks and the use and abuse of spiritual power.: 1,2

Study hours

12 lectures, 12 seminars, 12 workshops, 38 hours seminar preparation, 38 hours commentary preparation, 38 hours lecture consolidation and essay preparation.

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment