| Unit name | The Renaissance and the Rise of the Modern Age |
|---|---|
| Unit code | THRS10041 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Balserak |
| Open unit status | Open |
| Pre-requisites |
none |
| Co-requisites |
none |
| School/department | Department of Religion and Theology |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
The Renaissance, and inventions like the printing press, profoundly changed people’s conception of themselves, the world, God, and the purpose of life. This unit explores these changes. It examines how Renaissance ideas helped bring about current (Western) worldviews. Applicability to the present day will regularly be made during lectures and seminars.
On successful completion of this unit students will have (1) developed a general knowledge and critical understanding of the relationship between the Renaissance and the modern age; (2) introductory understanding of the intellectual, religious and cultural contexts informing this relationship; 3) demonstrated the ability to analyse and evaluate competing scholarly perceptions of the renaissance and its relationship to the modern era; (4) demonstrated the ability to identify and evaluate pertinent evidence/data in order to illustrate/demonstrate a cogent argument.
20 hours (lectures/seminars).
One summative coursework essay of 1500 words (50%) and one unseen examination of two hours comprising 2 questions out of 6 (50%).
William J. Bouwsma: The Waning of the Renaissance 1550-1640 (New. Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2000). Mark Peterson, Galileo’s Muse; Renaissance Mathematics and the Arts (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2011). Jacob Burkhardt, The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy (Harmondsworth: Penguin Classics, 1990). Lisa Jardine, Worldly Goods: A New History of the Renaissance (New York: Doubleday,1996).
