Thinking with Demons
HIST 148
Spring 2016 not offered
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| Crosslisting:
RELI 210, MDST 148 |
As the perennial bad boy of Judeo-Christian tradition, the devil has exerted an enduring fascination on Western culture for two millennia and counting. He and his kind remain so compelling in part because they tap into both our most profound anxieties and our deepest desires. This course will explore the myriad ways humans across the centuries have found demons useful to "think with," employing them to everything from explaining the existence of evil to justifying violence against others. It will also introduce you to the conventions of college-level writing and to the perspectives of different academic disciplines that the many aspects of the demonic provide an ideal opportunity to explore. The first half of the course will focus on the devil and demons in ancient and medieval culture, emphasizing their critical impact on the formation of medieval Christianity. The second half will address the role of the demonic in European culture after 1500, including the great witch trials and the fears of the diabolic that emerged as part of colonial encounter, before considering the way ideas of the devil continue to function in contemporary society. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
SBS HIST |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: None |
Major Readings:
The course reading list will include SELECTIONS from the following texts:
David Brakke, DEMONS AND THE MAKING OF THE MONK: SPIRITUAL COMBAT IN EARLY CHRISTIANITY
Dyan Elliot, FALLEN BODIES: POLLUTION, SEXUALITY AND DEMONOLOGY IN THE MIDDLE AGES
Richard Kieckhefer, FORBIDDEN RITES: A NECROMANCER'S MANUAL OF THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY
Anton LaVey, THE SATANIC BIBLE
Brian Levack, THE WITCH HUNT IN EARLY MODERN EUROPE
John Milton, PARADISE LOST
Elaine Pagels, THE ORIGIN OF SATAN: HOW EARLY CHRISTIANS DEMONIZED JEWS, PAGANS, AND HERETICS
W. Scott Poole, SATAN IN AMERICA: THE DEVIL WE KNOW
Jeffrey S. Victor, SATANIC PANIC: THE CREATION OF A CONTEMPORARY LEGEND
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Examinations and Assignments:
Four two-page assignments, each applying a different disciplinary approach One twelve-page research paper, including preparatory research exercises, oral presentation, initial draft, and final revision |
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