The classes in this list are only the selection of MEMS courses that have been cross-listed with the “MEM” prefix. Numerous other classes being offered in the fall term may also count towards the MEMS Minor and IDS Major. For more information, contact Will Hasty <hasty@ufl.edu>
MEM 3300 (2A93, 2D93): “Castles and Cloisters: An Introduction to Medieval European Communities.” (H, I)
Instructor: Valerie Hampton, Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
Asynchronous online course description:
https://ufl.instructure.com/courses/339981
MEM 3301 (05C3, 1078): “Palaces and Cities: An Introduction to Early Modern European Communities.” (H)
Instructor: Will Hasty, Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
Asynchronous online course description:
https://ufl.instructure.com/courses/339982
MEM 3931 (HI1A)/EUH-3121: “Early Middle Ages.”
Instructor: Florin Curta, Department of History “The past is a foreign country.” There is perhaps no period in history to which the words of the American historian David Lowenthal may apply better than to the Early Middle Ages. The early part makes it exotic: it is not about gallant knights, courtly love, or crusaders, all of which “happened” much later, after AD 1000. By contrast, this was a world of warriors and missionaries, though the names of Beowulf and Boniface may not be as familiar to you as those of King Arthur and Joan of Arc. Moreover, the study of the Early Middle Ages presents a number of serious challenges, especially the combination of written sources and archaeological evidence. In fact, the lack of written sources explains why some historians refer to the early Middle Ages as the Dark Ages. In this course, we will examine some of these problems and attempt to present, if not a definite picture, then at least a survey of the current knowledge on this topic. Our focus will be on social and cultural history, our approach chronological and sometimes thematic. From Huns to Vikings, we will bring some light into the study of the Dark Ages.
MEM 3931 (JST1)/JST 3930: “Jews in the Muslim World.”
Instructor: Yehoshua Ecker, Center for Jewish Studies.
A survey of the history of Jews in Muslim societies and under Muslim rule, from the conquests of the 7th century to the dispersions and transformations of the 20th century. Including: Social, political, economic and legal developments; Demographic trends; Interactions between communities; Impacts of Imperialism, Nationalism and modern State-Building. The Arab-Muslim conquests brought most Jews in the world under one political entity and fundamentally affected Jewish history. As the early Muslim empire broke down to smaller states and gave rise to subsequent imperial structures, this history became much more complex. In the first millennium of the Muslim world, the vast majority of Jews still lived within its bounds. This reality has only began to change a few centuries ago, and has drastically altered in the past 100 years. This is an overview of a crucial and central period in Jewish history, which uses the political history and chronology of the Muslim world as a scaffold for outlining and contextualizing the Jewish experience within this world, and the impact of this experience on Jews beyond it.
MEM 3930 (CH1A)/ CHT 3302 (29083) “Tales of the Strange in Medieval Chinese Literature.”
Instructor: Stephan N. Kory, Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
Introduces traditional Chinese tales of the strange and primary sources that contributed to their development. Also covers cross-cultural literary theories of the fantastic and uncanny; interdisciplinary literary, discourse, and narrative theories; and three common medieval Chinese worldviews. The whole course is taught in English.
MEM 3931 (RE1A): “Buddhist Philosophy.”
Instructor: Mario Poceski, Department of Religion
Hi Will. If you think it is suitable, you can cross-list my Buddhist Philosophy course, which is also cross-https://www.academia.edu/44848624/Poceski_Buddhist_Philosophy_syllabus
MEM 4931 (4G65)/EUH 4123 (1NC1) “Holy War in the Middle Ages.”
Instructor: Nina Caputo, Department of History Examines the shifting terrain of historical and theological conceptions of war and holy war in the middle ages. The material is divided into four distinct sections: theological foundations, early medieval conceptions of war and community, the Crusades and changes in the high and late middle ages.
MEM 4931 (JST2)/JST 4939: “Jews in the Age of Revolution: 1750-1850.”
Instructor: Yehoshua Ecker, Center for Jewish Studies.
The century between 1750 and 1850 framed some of the the most dramatic transitions in world history, encompassing social, political, technological and global transformations. From the American and French revolutions and the Napoleonic wars, through the struggles for
independence in the Balkans and in Central and South America, to the constitutional revolutions across Europe, the demise of states and dynasties, the creation of new ones, and the rise of new colonial and imperial structures worldwide, this was an age of political revolution. While the legal and religious aspects of these transitions in Jewish contexts are a common theme in historical discussions, converging on the discussions of “emancipation”, “reform”, “orthodoxy”, the social and global aspects are much more diffuse. To capture them, we
will pay special attention to individual trajectories and generational shifts, as well as local and regional cases, to reveal the complexity of changing social realities and the diffusion of communal and corporate structures.
MEM 4931 (361C) “Pre-modern Chinese Fiction in Translation.”
Instructor: Richard Wang, Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
Pre-modern Chinese narrative from its philosophical and historical origins to the fiction at the turn of the 20th century. Emphasizes the 16th and 17th centuries when Chinese vernacular fiction flourished. (H and N)
MEM 4931 (AB1A)/ABT 4131: “The Qur’an as Literature.”
Instructor: Sarra Tlili, Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
This course explores the Qur’an from a literary standpoint. After a brief historical overview, we will focus on the style and themes of the Qur’an to consider how this text generates meaning and produces literary effect. The course consists of four major units: 1) History: This section explores the historical context where the Qur’an emerged, the Qur’an’s textual evolution, and the use of the Qur’an as a source of historical information; 2) Translation and interpretation: This section asks whether and to what extent the Qur’an is translatable and surveys some interpretative approaches to it; 3) Style and structure: This section explores some of the stylistic features of the Qur’an and studies its structure at the verse and sura levels; and 4) Themes: This section explores the major themes of the Qur’an and some of the themes that are of special interest to modern audiences.
MEM 3931 (IT1A) / ITT 3443: “Dante’s Inferno: ‘To Hell and Back’.”
Instructor: Mary Watt, Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures Come along on a 15-week journey through the underworld as imagined by the fourteenth-century writer Dante Alighieri. The primary source will be Dante’s Inferno but the course will be enhanced with visual materials and will make full use of the many digital resources devoted to the study of Dante and his world. Special attention will be paid to the political, historical, and religious context in which Dante was writing but the main point of the course will be to give students an appreciation of the masterful narrative that Dante weaves and the enduring beauty of his poetry. Taught in English. Prereq: LIT 2000 or IDS 1161