Faith and Reason in the Middle Ages
In this unit, we will explore the relationship of faith and reason in the Middle Ages. In the Central Middle Ages, theolgians wrestled with the problem of faith and reason, and attempted to find a role for reason within the context of faith. Anselm of Bec argued that reason could function properly only with the prior context of faith, but that within that context, reason and the human mind was the reflection of God.
The modules of this unit explore this topic from the desert hermits through St. Francis of Assisi; the films used exemplify important historiographical schools of interpretation.
The Conversion of Constantine
This section of the course explores the conversion of Constantine. The nature of the famous vision he experienced before the Battle of Milvian Bridge is controversial, as is the extent to which he actually converted to Christianity. Further, pagan traditions continued to exist for centuries after the conversion of Europe. To further explore materials on the conversion of Constantine, Christianity and paganiasm in the Roman Empire and Middle Ages click on the links below:
Films:
Constantine and the Cross (Costantino il grande/Constantine the Great 1962) This film plays quite a lot with the known facts of Constantine's life. The film suggests that he was charitable towards Christians before his conversion, and portrays a series of interactions with his mother not based on sources.
Sorceress (Le Moine et la sorcière, 1987)This wonderful film was written by Pamela Berger, and art historian and medievalist. It portrays the attitude of the parish churches toward pagan customs which survived in the Christian era, as opposed to the official attitude of the Church as represented by a Dominican Friar. The inhabitants of the village have canonized a dog as a saint; from this premise, the film follows the villagers and a female healer through several incidents.
Warlord This film explores a fictional situation arising out of a noble's demand that his right of the first night be respected. Many pagan rituals are depicted, and the social and political decisions that must be made as Christians interact with these rituals is explored.
Links to explore:
Eusebius's account of the conversion of Constantine from the medieval sourcebook
Life of Emperor Constantine by Eusebius from Christus Rex site
The Donation of Constantine from the medieval sourcebook one of the most famous forgeries in history and the basis for the claims of the medieval papacy to have supremacy over temporal powers. See also the article on the Donation of Constantine in the Catholic Encyclopedia.
Constantine from Roman Emperors
Constantine the Great entry from the Catholic Encyclopedia, the Ecole Glossary entry and Britannia entry. The latter has several documents relating to the reign of Constantine.
Coins from the age of Constantine: Sol invictus
Byzantine Coins from the Age of Constantine
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre Constantine's mother Helena allegedly uncovered the site of the crucifxion and remnants of the true cross. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was built on this site. This site provides a wonderful history of this unique and very controversial building over which countless numbers of Christian sects have squabbled for centuries.
Art and architecture of Constantine
Pictures of the Arch of Constantine in black and white and others in color
The Colassal Statue of Constantine in Rome
The Desert Hermits
Simon of the Desert by Luis Bunuel.
Bunuel's work continually critiqued the ethos of the Christian life. In Nazarin and Viridiana, he wondered whether people really wanted Christian charity and therefore, whether it was realy possible to live according to the precepts of Christ. In Simon of the Desert, a wonderful satire of the eremitical life, he questioned the value of the severe aesceticism of the desert; not only does he suggest that such aesceticism does not rid one of the devil, but like Basil and other ancient thinkers, he suggests that the spiritual olympics of the desert were a form of pride.
Links to explore:
Biography of Bunuel from BBC with several links to informationon Bunuel's films
"Thank God I'm an Atheist:" The Surrealist Cinema of Luis Bunuel
Luis Bunuel site in Spanish
Luis Bunuel from Foreign Films Biography and descriptions of films
Luis Bunuel site in Spanish but very exhaustive
Bunuel page from the Internet movie database
To explore the historic world of the desert hermits, please consult the Desert Hermits page from Dr. Vess's Medieval Monasticism site.
The Anchorites of the Central Middle Ages
Films:
Anchoress (1993) This is an excellent film which depicts a young village girl who has had a mystical experience of the Virgin Mary. She enters a cell, eventually escapes, and finally enters Mother Earth and explores her female oriented spirituality. The film depicts the ways in which the institutionalized, male Church attempted to exert control over women, but it also explored the human elements of such a lifestyle, especially the reaction of families and friends to the young girl's ecstasies. To further explore anchoresses in the Middle Ages, click on the following links:
Links to explore:
Julian of Norwich: Revelations of Divine Love
Julian of Norwich (1342-ca.1416)
Users should also consult the Medieval Monastic Women page from Dr. Vess's Medieval Monasticism site.
The Medieval Visionary Experience
While visionary experiences are largely rejected today as hallucinations or symptoms of mental illness, in the Middle Ages they were widely respected. In this module of the course, we will explore the nature of the visionary experience as recorded in primary source texts as opposed to film interpretations.
Films:
The Navigator : A Medieval Odyssey (1988) The film is set in a small village during the Black Death of the foureenth century. A young boy experiences visions in which he and his family and friends tunnel through the earth and emerge in the twentieth century. A wonderful exploration of prophetic visions which can be nicely juxtaposed with primary source accounts of medieval visionaries. The film is also an allegory; the world of the navigator is beset by plague in the same way as the modern world suffers from AIDS, the possibility of nuclear war, and other disasters. The Navigator is a parable about the power of faith.
Hildegard of Bingen (1994) which was made for TV.
The Seventh Seal (Sjunde inseglet, Det1957) deals with not only the Black Death but with the "visionary" experiences of a medieval knight returning home from a crusade who has an encounter with Death.
Links to explore:
To further explore women visionaries in the medieval period, please consult the Medieval Monastic Women page from Dr. Vess's Medieval Monasticism site.
Faith and Reason in the Twelfth Century: "The Case of Peter Abelard" and the career of Averroes
Films:
Stealing Heaven (1988) a noticeably inaccurate portrayal of the story of Abelard and Heloise which focuses on their affair rather than on Abelard's career. Although several aspects of the movie are based on the Letters of Abelard and Heloise, the film takes great liberties with the facts.
Destiny (al Massir 1997)Directed by the Egyptian master Youssef Chahine, this film is a remarkable and epic presentation of the career of Averroes. It is not easily available as a rental and very expensive to purchase, but it is well worth the investment.
Links to explore:
Abelard's Historia Calamitatum
The Historia Calmitatum in Latin along with Heloise's first letter
Letter of Heloise to Abelard with other resources
The Logic of Ethics with commentary on the teachings of Abelard
Abelard of Le Pallet chronology and other notes
"Logic has made me hated among men": Abelard of Le Pallet on Theology
www.abelard.com this site has some interesting resources on logic, heresy, the Church, Abelard, and modern issues
Abelard and Heloise: a Musical Play interesting site for the treatment of Abelard and Heloise in drama and music
Pierre Abélard, à l'aube des universités conference site with some interesting links and bibliographies
Abelard's Negotiations of Gender by Martine Irvine
Peter Abelard: Abbot, Theologian, Philosopher
Alexander Pope's "Eloisa to Abelard"
Peripateticus Palatinus: The Story of Abelard from ORB
The tomb of Abelard and Heloise from Findagrave.com
Scholasticism article from the Catholic Encyclopedia
Aristotle article from the Catholic Encyclopedia
Abelard article from the Catholic Encyclopedia
Averroes article from the Catholic Encyclopedia
Ibn Rushd Home page nice set of links here, including to materials on Destiny.
Islamic Political Philosophy: Al-Farabi, Avicenna, and Averroes
On the Harmony of Religions and Philosophy by Averroes (from the medieval sourcebook)
Averroes from Bartleby
Ibn Rushd: The Great Philosopher who Planted the Seeds of the European Renaissance article by Habeeb Salloum
Ibn Rushd: Philosopher and Theologian by Yousif Fajr Raslan
Ibn Rushd article from the Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy
The Impact of Aristotle on Late Medieval Thought
Film:
The Name of the Rose (der Name der Rose 1986)The film, like the book, is a wonderful excursion into the medieval past. Every detail of the book and film echoes an aspect of the historic past, and provides ample oppurtinities to discuss the differences between monastic and Franciscan culture, illuminated manuscripts, medieval libraries, medieval religious orders, and hoards of other issues.
Links to explore:
Aristotle article from the Catholic Encyclopedia
Late medieval piety
Films:
Brother Sun, Sister Moon (1973)Francis as a flower child reminiscent of the 1960's.
Francesco (1989) Francis as impoverished beggar, complete with skin sores and other physical maladies. Much more accurate in this respect, although it does not explore the conversion of Francis as well as the former film does.
San Francesco il poverello d'Assisi (1911)
Francesco, giullare di Dio (1950)
Links to explore:
Users should consult the Franciscan Page from Dr. Vess's Medieval Monasticism site for numerous links to sites related to St. Francis.
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