RLB231 Orthodoxy and Heresy in the Medieval Western Christianity

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2009
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
doc. PhDr. David Zbíral, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Dušan Lužný, Dr.
Department for the Study of Religions – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Lucie Čelková
Timetable
Mon 16:40–18:15 J31
Prerequisites
Basic orientation in the western Christianity in the 11th-15th century.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 30 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/30, only registered: 0/30
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course highlights the dynamics of the orthodoxy-heresy relationship in the medieval western Christianity. It offers information on different currents, related historiography and the present state of the scholarly debates. The lectures address particularly some case studies of medieval orthodoxy-heresy relationship that offer interesting general theoretical considerations. The course covers mainly early manifestations of “heresy” in the 11th century, links between heresy and reform during the 12th century, Waldenses, Cathars, and radical millenarian movements at the turn of the 14th century.
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- describe very well the groups of religious dissent in the 11th-14th c. Western Europe;
- express the link between the development of heresy and the overall development of Western Christendom in 11th-14th century;
- analyse the antiheretical discourse;
- evaluate specific information of inquisitional and polemical sources from the area of Western Christendom;
- question the categories of orthodoxy and heresy and some dominant models in the study of “medieval heresy”;
- illustrate general problems of method in the study of religions (genealogies, formation of concepts...) by examples from the field of medieval Christian dissenting movements.
Syllabus
  • (0) Introduction.
  • (1) Starting points and theoretical orientation of the course.
  • (2) Orthodoxy and heresy in medieval Christianity.
  • (3) Reform and heresy, 1000-1120.
  • (4) “When Valdès was not heretic” – Valdès’ activity in Lyon and its historiography I.
  • (5) “When Valdès was not heretic” – Valdès’ activity in Lyon and its historiography II.
  • (6) “Catharism” and the process of Armanno named Pungilupo.
  • (7) Heresy of the Free Spirit.
  • (8) Guglielma of Milan and her followers.
  • (9) Gherardo Segarelli, Dolcino and the radical advocates of poverty, 1260-1320.
  • (10) “Hammer of the Inquisitors”: Bernard Délicieux and his struggle against the Inquisition.
  • (11) The role of women in medieval dissenting movements.
  • (12) Final revision.
Literature
  • LAMBERT, Malcolm. Středověká hereze. Translated by Tomáš Vítek. Vyd. 1. Praha: Argo, 2000, 598 s. ISBN 8072032917. info
  • Heresies of the high middle ages. Edited by Walter L. Wakefield - Austin P. Evans. New York: Columbia University Press, 1991, xiv, 865. ISBN 0231096321. info
  • Inventer l'hérésie? : discours polémiques et pouvoirs avant l'Inquisition. Edited by Monique Zerner. Nice: Centre d'Études Médiévales, 1998, 283 s. ISBN 2910897486. info
  • Texts and the repression of Medieval heresy. Edited by Caterina Bruschi - Peter Biller. 1st pub. Woodbridge, Suffolk: York Medieval Press, 2003, xvii, 256. ISBN 1903153107. info
  • Ordonner et exclure : Cluny et la société chrétienne face à l'hérésie, au judaïsme et à l'islam, 1000- 1150. Edited by Dominique Iogna-Prat. 2. éd. Paris: GF-Flammarion, 2000, 508 s. ISBN 2700722876. info
  • MOORE, R. I. The formation of a persecuting society : power and deviance in Western Europe, 950-1250. 1st pub. in pbk. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 1990, viii, 168. ISBN 0631171452. info
Teaching methods
Lectures, discussions, home reading of (a) literature and (b) essays by other participants.
Assessment methods
1) Written essay (9,000-18,000 characters including spaces) with notes and bibliography (evaluated: passed × failed).
2) Passing of final oral revision (evaluated: passed × failed).
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught once in two years.
Information on course enrolment limitations: Zápis mimo religionistiku je podmíněn souhlasem vyučujícího.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2007, Spring 2011, Spring 2013, Spring 2017.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2009, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2009/RLB231