| Unit name | Prophecy and Society in the Middle Ages (Level I Special Field) |
|---|---|
| Unit code | HIST26000 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Holdenried |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of History (Historical Studies) |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
In this unit students explore the particular conceptual framework of the Middle Ages - a framework which gave a lot more room to the supernatural, of which prophecy naturally is a part. We will explore Christian thinking on prophecy and its role in medieval society, political culture, and religious life (mainly c. 1000-1400). Today prophecy is thought to be solely about foretelling the future (think, for example of the frequent predictions of impending disaster, such as those attributed to Nostradamus). In the Middle Ages prophecy occupied a wider spectrum: in the context of mysticism it was also about contact with God because prophecy was understood as the mind being illuminated by Divine light.
1 x 2 hour exam
