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Courses 

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This page contains brief descriptions of selected courses I have or am currently teaching at Westminster College. Each of the courses listed below is linked to its own resource page, including assignments, grading policies, readings and course schedule.
 
 
 

All knowledge is self-knowledge. Thus to take on the task of studying the ancient and pre-modern roots of our Western Civilization is actually to seek to know more about ourselves--our culture, our beliefs, our habits of mind, and indeed, our darker sides. History 101, "Civilization to 1715," has as its purpose the surveying of the ancient, medieval and early-modern cultures that have traditionally been viewed as part of the "Western Tradition." Without loosing sight of the distinctiveness of pre-modern civilizations, this course seeks to identify those themes, institutions, and beliefs that link our age with the past. We will trace Western history from the builders of the Pyramids to the builder of Versailles, from the first papyrus scribblings to the printing press, from the establishment of the Covenant with Israel to Luther’s publishing his 95 theses. "Civilization to 1714," then, is the history of our own society, for, by 1715, the essential features of the modern world were already in place.

One one level, this course is about France in the early modern period--from the sixteenth century to the French Revolution at the close of the eighteenth. In it, we explore the personalities, movements, historical sites, artwork and ideologies that made this the most brilliant and glittering age in European history--the Grand Siecle, the "Great Century." We will explore some of the most important historical and literary figures in modern European history--from Louis XIV (the Sun King), Moliere, Sully, and Bodin, to the leaders of the French revolution. These centuries were "the French centuries," and telling their story is, in large measure, telling the story of European history in general. But on another level, we are concerned with fundamental issues of the nation and the state: How has the role of religion and philosophy in the formation and running of national states evolved since the founding of the modern state by the absolutist kings? How have civil war and revolution been used to remedy societal ills? Do revolutions work? Is religion no longer a significant regulator of human behavior? These are the larger questions we shall be exploring in this course; and inasmuch as France is where may of these questions were first asked, it is only right that we seek the answers there--in the age of the Sun King and on the bloody guillotine.

No nation has influenced twentieth-century history more than Russia.  In its heroic contributions to two world wars, in its revolutionary ideology and economy, in its colorful and ruthless (and sometimes saintly) leaders, in its contributions to technology and to the arts, in its brutality and blood-letting—no European culture quite compares.  Thus, Russian history in our century is vital to an assessment of our recent past.  But a solid foundation in modern Russian history is vital also in our time as we map out the course of the next century—as Europe integrates into the European Union, as the US plots out its ever complex foreign policy, and as the dilemma of thousands of nuclear-tipped warheads is tackled.  The twentieth century began, we will argue, in the First World War and the Russian Revolution.  And it has ended with a new Russian Revolution.  Making sense of these tumultuous events, and speculating on what they mean for our global future, is the purpose of this course.

The words "medieval" and "middle ages" often conjure up an image of a dark and gloomy time, a semi-civilized, unlearned and uncouth age which separates the greatness of antiquity from the reason, humanism and cultural refinement of the Renaissance. The image is a distorted one. Medieval society was a dynamic, highly fertile time intellectually, socially, and politically; and it is in the intellectual, social, technological, and philosophical discoveries of this age that we can locate the foundations of our own world. History 123, "The Middle Ages, 300-1300," then, seeks to exploded the myths which prevail about the Middle Ages. The course will introduce students both to the uniqueness of medieval societies and cultures—focusing particularly on France, England and Germany—and to those institutions and beliefs that have influenced the formation of own social, political and philosophical systems—particularly the role of the Church, the principles of lordship and "good government," the family and women, and scholasticism. The Middle Ages shall be revealed to be far more civilized—indeed, far less "dark"—period in Western history than its popular reputation might suggest it was.

CLC 121: This course is an introduction to the neo-classical literature of and seventeenth-century France and its legacy. It will present different authors and examine a range of literary genres in order to project a more accurate picture of the cultural wealth and diversity of this period. The course will raise such questions as: How does society influence literature? How does literature influence society? How do authors work within generic literary boundaries? How does literature often function as social commentary of the events in society, economy, culture, and politics of the day? These questions, while directed at a fairly specific context – the France of Louis XIV – are in fact applicable to most every culture that produces written literature. In this way, the course asks broad questions that pertain to cultures and periods well beyond early-modern France of the age and court of the "Sun King."
 
 

HIS 125: This is a course about France and Europe in the early modern period – from the Wars of Religion in the mid-sixteenth century, to the onset of the French Revolution in 1789. Particular attention is paid to the life and reign of Louis XIV. In it, we explore the personalities, movements, historical sites, and ideologies that made this arguably the most glittering age in European history – the Grand Siècle, or the "Great Century." These centuries were "the French centuries," and telling their story is, in large measure, telling the story of European history in general. But on another level, we are concerned with fundamental issues of the nation and the state. How did the modern state come into being? Who are the founders of the nation-states of Europe? How has the public role religion plays in national states changed in this period and up until our own day? Is religion no longer a significant regulator of human behavior? These are the larger questions we shall be exploring in this course. And inasmuch as France is where many of these questions were first asked (and answered), it is only right that we seek the answers there – in bloody confessional wars between Protestants and Catholics, and in the reign and age of the "Sun King."

Despite the dismemberment of the Soviet Union, the ending of the Cold War and the near total collapse of the Russian economy, it is arguable that no country will be more important for the international economy and global security in the next century than Russia. Understanding Russia, then, is fundamental to finding ways to cooperate and coexist with this vast and powerful country. The purpose of this course is to provide an introduction to the cultural, social, economic and political structures in Russian history from earliest times down to the mid-nineteenth century, when many of the features of modern Russia fell into place. We are all products of our past, and this is especially true of the Russians. In examining a range of topics--from serfdom to autocracy--and personalities--from Ivan the Terrible to the great poet Alexander Pushkin--we can begin to grasp not only how the modern Russian state came into being, but acquire some sense of the character of the Russians themselves. This course will plunge students into the primary sources of Russian history: ancient chronicles, works of "high-" and "low-brow" literature, and religious art and architecture. The main purpose of the course (beyond, of course, mastery of lots of names and dates) is for students to obtain a sense of the structure of Russian history and a general appreciation of the formative power of historical events on culture.