Catholic Church History in the Middle Ages & Reformation Era

This course will include a comprehensive overview of both the Middle Ages and the Reformation Era, including: the critical movements of Catholic renewal and reform during the Middle Ages, including the study of the Crusades, the development of monasticism is the medieval period, encountering heresy, social life, and the flowering of the Renaissance. The course will also engage with the central Reformation movements encouraged by figures such as Erasmus, Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin, the special circumstances of the English Reformation(s), and the spiritual renewal of the Counter-Reformation. Particular attention will be placed on the age of exploration and the globalization of the Catholic faith, as well as issues around colonialism. A special emphasis is placed on the use of primary sources, which will aid students to better understand the historical realities of the period being studied and learn how primary sources may be used in historical research.