Please Read by 3 November 2010

This week we will be looking at the reshaping of Medieval Europe. In particular, we will be discussing Scholasticism, the Black Death, the Hundred Years War, and the impact of the fall of the Byzantine Empire on the West.

HUNDRED YEARS WAR

It would be helpful for you to read a bit about the 100 Years War prior to class. A short and very simple outline of the 100 Years War can be found here. A slightly more academic account of the war can be found here.

SCHOLASTICISM

Scholasticism was a method of learning, teaching, and thinking that came to dominance in Europe during the late Middle Ages. As the name implies, a great deal of emphasis was placed on the rigorous sort of thought that took place in schools. There was a sustained attempt to combine Aristotelian philosophy with the theological insights of the Latin Church Fathers.

1. What relationship should Christian thought and Biblical interpretation have with pagan (remember that Aristotle was a pagan) philosophy?
2. What benefits would such a detailed and rigorous approach to theology have for the Church in general and individual Christians in particular? What harm might such an approach cause in the life of the Church?
3. Were peasants, serfs, and craftsmen equipped to engage in scholastic reasoning? If not, how would this impact who theology was actually being done for?

It is important to understand both the attractions and pitfalls of scholasticism because this way of thinking under-girded the theology of the Medieval Church that scholars like Erasmus and Reformers like Luther and Calvin were protesting against.