JMU offers new medieval and renaissance minor
Posted on September 20, 2007
A medieval and renaissance studies minor, focusing on the period of time from the fall of the Roman Empire to 1700 is now being offered at JMU.
“This minor was created because the faculty working on studies in the medieval and renaissance era felt that there was a critical mass available for this minor,” Dr. Chip Bolyard, assistant professor of philosophy, said.
Bolyand worked with fifteen other faculty members, many who specialize in the medieval and renaissance era, to put together the new minor. The majority of the contributing faculty had been thinking about creating a major like this for years now, Dr. John Butt, professor of history said.
“Now, we can pull together and work as one body,” he said.
Students can take courses in art history, English, history, music, languages, philosophy and religion that focus on the medieval era or the renaissance.
“There is an extraordinary selection of courses offered, far bigger than most minors, and from quite a range of department,” Butt said.
Butt said there would be general education classes offered as well as 400-level courses.
“This minor is exactly what a liberal arts education is and should be all about,” he said.
The minor will require 18 credits. Students must take courses from at least three distinct disciplines, and four of the six required classes must be at an intermediate or advanced level. Individual research projects can also count toward credit for this minor.
Dr. David Hollenberg, assistant professor of religion, said that the religion courses are mostly set in classical Islam from the eighth to the 12th century and correspond to the medieval era in Europe. The content focuses on the period of Islamic dominance and how religion and culture was preserved and spread.
“Islam is important to the world because it was a subset in ancient classical tradition, and it was translated to Latin,” said Hollenberg. “Progress was made in the sciences.”
Dr. Jonathan Gibson, assistant professor of music, said that the music course for this minor covers music history through 1700. It will focus on music in the renaissance and the baroque era.
“I think this minor will appeal to a select number of students,” Gibson said. “It will not be as big as nursing, but that’s not the intention. Several students are already happy to see it here.”
Hollenberg said the minor can be relevant to anything in culture today.
“Issues of antiquity come from emperors, and today there are dominant powers that go to subordinate countries,” he said. “In a way, that is like imperialism.”
Bolyard said medieval and ennaissance studies can still be relevant in today’s society.
“By studying the religious events in Spain, from the Muslims to the Crusades, you will observe how the individuals got along with each other, and hopefully will develop that ability as well,” Bolyard said.
The only other minor related to this is the Classical Studies minor, which has about 20 students enrolled.
“Students running a major that require similar class topics, such as history or English, can take a few other classes and get this minor as well,” Bolyard said.
Currently, no students have signed up for this minor. But the professors are not discouraged. They feel that students, mostly history and English majors, will take an interest in this minor in years to come.
Some students are already planning to do so.
“I am declaring this minor along with my history major because it united a whole bunch of different subjects, like music and literature and art, for me,” sophomore Elizabeth Anderson said.
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