IUPUI
Fall 2005
Dr. E.L. Saak
CA 504P
Office Hours: by appointment
Phone: 274-1687
Email: esaak@iupui.edu
History J495
Religion and Politics
W
Sect. 6325
CA 219
This course is your senior
capstone course. The goal of the course
is three-fold: 1.) to gain a sophisticated understanding of the approaches to
history and the theoretical issues involved in “doing” history; 2.) to research
and write a major paper; and 3.) to gain a sophisticated understanding of the
relationship between ‘religion’ and ‘politics’, based on the late medieval
controversies, but one that can apply to the issue(s) as such. The goal is to combine theoretical
perspective with practical application, which is essential for producing high
quality historical work. In many ways,
this course seeks to put into practice IUPUI’s Principles of Undergraduate
Learning with respect to a given topic.
Structure of
Course
This
course will consist of lectures, discussions, and presentations, thus
incorporating the experience of lectures, colloquia, and seminars. You will get out of this course what you put
into it. If scheduling permits, I will be presenting
some of my own research to the class in a seminar. In any case, the hope is that my experience
and expertise will help you develop your own research projects and to execute
them with a high level of
sophistication. This is both a
theoretical course and a hands-on workshop.
Each of you are strongly encouraged to seek my advise and help outside
of class, via email/course mail, office hours, and/or special
appointments. If there are any questions
or concerns about this class, and what it requires, please do not hesitate to
see me at the earliest possible occasion.
Required
Texts
Marsilius
of
Terrence
Ball and Richard Dagger, Political
Ideologies and the Democratic Ideal.
--------------------------------------------,
Ideals and Ideologies. A Reader.
Hans-Georg
Gadamer, Truth and Method.
Grading
Participation: 20%
Proposal: 10%
Draft: 10%
Presentation: 10%
Paper: 50%
Basic Requirements: Students are expected to attend all class meetings,
and to be prepared for discussing the material of the day. Each student is required to formulate a
research project and turn in a proposal thereof. Further, students are expected to turn in a
draft of their papers. These drafts, as
the proposals, will be commented on by the instructor, and time will be
available to re-write/polish/finish the paper befeore it is due the end of the
semester. Each student is also required
to present her/his project to the class for a seminar discussion of the topic,
the approach, the method, and the practical execution.
Aug. 24: Introduction
and “Doing History” [lecture]
Aug. 31: Religion,
Politics, and History [lecture]
Sept. 7: Ideologies [lecture/colloquium:
Ideals and Ideologies]
Sept. 14: Gadamer I [pages vii-169; colloquium]
Sept. 21: Gadamer II [pages 171-579; colloquium]
Sept. 28: Marsilius I [pages xi-273; lecture/colloquium]
Proposals Due
Oct. 5: Marsilius II [pages 274-454;
colloquium]
Oct. 12: Presentations
[seminar]
Oct. 19: Presentations
[seminar]
Oct. 26: Presen tations
[seminar]
Nov. 2: Presentations [seminar]
Nov. 9: Presen tations [seminar]
Nov. 16: Presentations
[seminar]
Drafts Due
Nov. 23: Thanksgiving—No Class
Nov. 30: Presentations
[seminar]
Dec. 7: Presentations and “So What?”
[seminar/lecture/discussion]
Dec. 14: