Age of the Reformation, 1350-1610
Spring, 2012 – 1:00-3:50 on Tuesday

Credit: Three semester hours
Instructors: Dr. Ronald Fritze and Dr. Robert White
Office, Dr. Fritze: Founders 231
Office Hours, Dr. Fritze: 9-11 M-F and 2-4 MTWF

Required Texts:
MacCulloch, The Reformation: A History
Pettegree, Europe in the Sixteenth Century
Marty, Martin Luther
 

Course Requirements
and Grading System

 
Course Description: Survey of European history from c1350-c1610.

Course Objectives:

a. students should have a broad grasp of the basic chronology of events from c1350-c1610.

b. students should have an understanding of the contributions of the Renaissance and Reformation to the development of modern society.

c. students should have an understanding of the interactions of politics, religion, society, and economy in the course of history from c1350-c1610.

d. students should have a general understanding of how historians have interpreted the events and significance of the Reformation from the sixteenth century to the present.

A total of 1000 points can be earned in this course. Grading will be 900 and above = A, 800-899 = B, 700-799 = C, etc.

Attendance of class is an important aspect of this course. The instructor reserves the right to take appropriate action when a student's lack of attendance adversely affects performance in the class.

Exams will be a combination of essay and objective questions. The midterm will cover the first half of the course and the final will cover the last half.

Assignments should be turned in on the dates they are due. Otherwise the instructor will be forced to deduct a late penalty.

Academic Misconduct: For definitions and procedures regarding academic dishonesty and plagiarism, see the Student Handbook.
 

Schedule

Research Paper

Length: 12 to 20 typewritten pages
Due: April 10
Weight: 30% of course grade
Objective: Familiarize the student with the literature and historians of Renaissance and Reformation period.

The student is to pick out a topic from the list provided or develop their own topic with the approval of the professor.

Each research paper should be typed. The margins should be standard. Please do not try to conceal a short paper with over-generous margins. Everyone knows that trick. The paper should be documented with footnotes/endnotes. There should also be a bibliography of works cited.

Schedule of due dates: 

Tentative topic, January 31. This will involve turning in one typewritten page containing your name on one line and the topic you have chosen on the next.

Tentative bibliography, February 14. This will involve turning in one typewritten page or more of bibliography. While there is no set number of items required, it ought to list at least eight books and articles.

Preliminary outline, March 20. This can be a rough general outline of one page.

Research paper to be submitted, April 10.

PLEASE NOTE: I am putting you on this schedule so that you will work steadily on your paper throughout the semester. That way, I will get papers that are well written and well researched. For those of you who have had the research courses in history or English, please use what you learned in them. The amount of material you will need to turn in on the first three dates is minimal. But I will expect it to be submitted. Papers not turned in on 10 April will have a half grade deducted for each day they are late, including the weekend.

Papers that are not typed will not be accepted. Papers containing excessive typos and misspellings will be penalized.

If you have any questions, please ask. It is permissible but not advisable to change paper topics.
 

Possible Research Topics

Changing biographical interpretations of Luther.
Changing biographical interpretations of Calvin.
Changing Biographical interpretations of Zwingli.
Changing biographical interpretations of Charles V.
Changing biographical interpretations of Philip II.
The origins of printing.
Printed books and sixteenth century culture.
The impact of gunpowder on early modern Europe.
Catholicism after the Council of Trent.
Jesuits and the Catholic Reformation.
Pre-Columbian Explorations.
The Portuguese Exploration of Africa.
The Portuguese Conquest of the Indian Ocean.
The Spanish Conquest of the New World.
The Impact of the New World on European Thought.
The Impact of Asia on European Thought.
The Biological Impact of the Discovery of the New World.
European attitudes toward the Ottoman Turks.
Copernicus and Sixteenth Century Science.
High Magic and Philosophy in the Sixteenth Century.
Popular Religion in the Sixteenth Century.
The Place of Women in the Renaissance and Reformation.
Fernand Braudel as a historian of early modern Europe.
Immanuel Wallerstein's Interpretation of early modern history.
Lucien Febvre and the Annales School.
Jan Huizinga as a historian of early modern Europe.
Leopold von Ranke, historian of the Reformation.
Max Weber and the Connection Between Capitalism and Protestantism.
Erik Erikson and the controversy over Young Man Luther.
Historical Writing as a form of propaganda during the Reformation.
Naval Technology in the Age of Discovery.
Peasant Revolts.
Witchcraft in the Sixteenth Century.

Also, if you are interested in theology, literature, art, or music during the Renaissance and Reformation, please feel free to suggest a topic. If you are not certain about a topic but have a general area you are interested in, I would be glad to help you develop one.
 

Book Review Assignment

The book you review should not be on the same topic as your research paper. You will need to get instructor approval of your choice on 24 January by submitting an index card with full bibliographic information to the instructor. Completed reviews are due on 6 March.

Assignments should be turned in on the date they are due. Otherwise the instructor will be forced to deduct a late penalty.

Book reviews should be typed and be 3-4 pages in length. They should include information about the author and his qualifications as a scholar, a description of the contents of the book, the opinions of at least two other published reviews, and your reaction to the book (i.e., did you like it, was it well done, what you learned, what it might be used for).

For more detailed instructions on doing a book review see the separate handout or the same material concerning book reviews posted on the course website.
 

Place Names for Map Quiz

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