The English Spiritual Tradition A: The Medieval Period (DS2141C)

Undergraduate, 18.0 points

Content

After introductory lectures on the general literary scene of the late Medieval period in England, the lectures and seminars will be devoted to a critical examination and appreciation of the following works: • Richard Rolle, The Fire of Love • Julian of Norwich, The Revelations of Divine Love • Walter Hilton, The Ladder of Perfection • The Cloud of Unknowing and • The Book of Margery Kempe.

Unit code: DS2141C

Unit status: Approved (New unit)

Points: 18.0

Unit level: Undergraduate Level 2

Unit discipline: Spirituality

Proposing College: Catholic Theological College

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Learning outcomes

1.

Describe the significant aspects of each of these texts studied during the semester
2.

Locate each in its historic context in 14th century England
3.

Interpret the central contribution/s of any one text to its 14th century reader
4.

Examine the evolving attitude towards any one text by subsequent generations of readers
5.

Propose ways in which the text might be read by a contemporary reader
6.

Evaluate ways in which the text could be of practical value today

Unit sequence

30 points at level one Christian Spirituality or the equivalent

Pedagogy

Some lectures with the bulk of the time devoted to discussion of texts, their meaning, significance and how they might speak to the contemporary reader

Indicative Bibliography

 **Students should have available each of the following (generally available on Library Loan)
  • Hilton, Walter. The Scale of Perfection. Translated by John P. H. Clark and Rosemary Dorward. Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist, 1991. (recommended for purchase)
  • Julian of Norwich. Revelations of Divine Love. Translated by Elizabeth Spearing. London: Penguin, 1999. (recommended for purchase)
  • Richard Rolle of Hampolle. The Fire of Love and the Mending of Life. Translated by Richard Misyn. Cosimo Classics. New York: Cosimo, 2007. (recommended for purchase)
  • Spearing, Anthony C., trans. The Cloud of Unknowing and Other Works. London: Penguin, 2001. (recommended for purchase)
  • Walsh, James A., trans. and ed. “The Pursuit of Wisdom” and other works by the author of “The Cloud of Unknowing”. Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist, 1988. (recommended for purchase)

  • Windeatt, Barry A., trans. The Book of Margery Kempe. Harmondsworth, UK: Penguin, 1985. (recommended for purchase)

  • Davis, Carmel B. Mysticism and Space: Space and Spatiality in the Works of Richard Rolle, the Cloud of Unknowing Author, and Julian of Norwich. Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, 2008.

  • Fryknholm, Amy. Julian of Norwich a Contemplative Biography. Brewster, Mass: Paraclete Press, 2010.

  • Goodman, Anthony. Margery Kempe and Her World. London: Longmans, 2002.

  • Jantzen, Grace. Julian of Norwich. London: SPCK, 2011.

  • Kennedy, David G. Incarnation and Hilton’s Spirituality. Salzburg: OLW, 1988.

  • Mursell, Gordon. English Spirituality. 2 vols. London: SPCK, 2001.

  • Nuth, Joan M. God’s Lovers in an Age of Anxiety: The Medieval English Mystics. London: Darton, Longman and Todd, 2001.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Essay

Major essay (3,500 words)

3500 80.0
Seminar or Tutorial

Weekly seminar notes (the equivalent of 1,000 words for the semester)

 1000 20.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by John Capper on 19 Oct, 2017

Unit record last updated: 2019-05-07 12:33:25 +1000