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| Unit name |
Calvinism and Europe (Level H Special Subject) |
| Unit code |
HIST37002 |
| Credit points |
20 |
| Level of study |
H/6
|
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
|
| Unit director |
Dr. Austin |
| Open unit status |
Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None
|
| Co-requisites |
None
|
| School/department |
Department of History (Historical Studies) |
| Faculty |
Faculty of Arts |
Description including Unit Aims
Calvinism was the most dynamic form of Reformation Protestantism, taking root in, among other places, France, Scotland, the Netherlands, Hungary, Poland and Lithuania. This special subject investigates the reasons for Calvinism's rise to pre-eminence, the manner in which this was achieved, its subsequent impact, and its longer term historical significance. While theological issues will not be ignored, greater attention will be given to the impact those ideas had on politics, culture and society, and the ways in which such factors in turn shaped the reception of these ideas. The close interconnections between religious and political history in the early modern period (as exemplified in the French Wars of Religion and the Dutch Revolt), will be stressed throughout this unit; moreover, themes such as the role of ideology, the nature and use of propaganda, and state formation and development, will allow students to draw comparisons with other periods of history.
- To place students in direct contact with the current research interests of the academic tutor
- To enable students to explore the issues surrounding the state of research on the history of Calvinism in Europe
- To develop further students ability to work with primary sources
- To develop further students abilities to integrate both primary and secondary source material into a wider historical analysis
- To develop further students ability to learn independently within a small-group context.
Intended Learning Outcomes
By the end of the unit students should have:
- Developed an in depth understanding of a particular aspect of current historical research
- Become more experienced and competent in working with an increasingly specialist range of primary sources
- Become more adept at contributing to and learning from a small-group environment.
Teaching Information
- 10 x weekly 2 hour seminar
- Tutorial feedback on essay
- Access to tutorial consultation with unit tutor in office hours
Assessment Information
1 x 3-400 word essay (50%) and 1 x 2 hour exam (50%)
Reading and References
- Philip Benedict, Christs Churches Purely Reformed: A Social History of Calvinism (2002)
- William Bouwsma, John Calvin: A Sixteenth-Century Portrait (1988)
- Ray A. Mentzer (Ed.), Sin and the Calvinists: Morals, Control and the Consistory in the Reformed Tradition (1994)
- Graeme Murdock, Beyond Calvin. The Intellectual, Political and Cultural World of Europes Reformed Churches (2004)
- Andrew Pettegree, Alastair Duke and Gillian Lewis (Eds.), Calvinism in Europe, 1540-1620 (1994)
- Menna Prestwich (Ed.), International Calvinism, 1541-1715 (1985)
