Readings in Medieval History: Saints or Sinners in Medieval and Early Modern Europe WT
One man casts off all his worldly goods (including his clothes) in public, and is called a saint. Another rejects his wealth while studying the Gospel and preaching, and is declared a heretic. What made Francis of Assisi saintly, and Waldo of Lyons heretical? In this course we will look at saints' lives and heretical sources to examine the grey areas between sanctity and heresy, and their implications for medieval and early modern society. We will examine several case studies (including Francis and Waldo, Joan of Arc, and Menocchio). In a final research paper students will explore another case on their own. 3 hrs. sem.