Friday, December 16, 2011

Might need some more monks in this syllabus

I have a bit of an academic lull before final papers come in. So I was just doing some planning for spring classes.

I only realize now that I've arranged my workload rather oddly. This fall I've taught a first-year seminar (capped at 15) and two upper-level classes (each with about 12 students each). In the spring I'll be teaching one upper-level class (quite small) and two introductory ones, each of those with 25 students. I think I'm going to be doing a lot more grading in the spring than this fall.

The spring upper-level course is on medieval monasticism. And may be the only time I'll ever teach it, since the enrollment is pretty low. It's such a pleasure to put together a course where I actually have a deep knowledge base. However, I did realize as I put a tentative reading list together that most of the secondary scholarship I included is about nuns. Now, in my course on monasticism, nuns are not going to get just a day or a week on the syllabus, but are going to get integrated into our discussions of every development in monasticism. And most of the primary sources are by and for monks, so men are not going to be neglected. Still, a bit more scholarship on the monks and friars would probably be wise.

4 comments:

The Ikes of the North said...

Would you share your reading list? Not sure if you will/can to preserve anonymity but I'd love to see it!

clio's disciple said...

Sure. I'll post the article list once I've got it sorted out.

For books, I'm definitely using:
The Rule of St. Benedict (Liturgical Press)
LaCorte and McMillan, Regular Life: Monastic, Canonical, and Mendicant Rules (Medieval Institute)
Jocelin of Brakelond, Chronicle of Bury St. Edmunds (Oxford)
Berman, Women and Monasticism in Medieval Europe (Medieval Institute)

I'm still thinking about including:
the life of St. Benedict
Lawrence, Medieval Monasticism
Matarasso, ed. The Cistercian World
Life and Death in a Venetian Convent (forgot the author there)

Anonymous said...

That may be the best title of a post, ever.

Hope your holidays are lovely!

word ver = "monsings" (doesn't that sounds like something monks might do, once they're on the syllabus?)

clio's disciple said...

Ink: thanks! Happy New Year to you!

I just might force students to do some Gregorian chant, at that.