History

HIS 210 — Western Civilization. 3 hours.

The course will survey the major themes of Western civilization and the contributions made by successive constituent civilizations beginning with the Greeks, Romans, and Jews. The course is designed to provide every student with a basic working knowledge of the major themes, trends, and figures in Western civilization.

HIST 600 — Historiographical Foundations. 3 hours.

Focus will be on identifying and defining the most significant approaches to political philosophy and historical interpretation in Western civilization, and the expression of these traditions in successive religious, social, and political contexts. Emphasis will be placed on methods of research and principles of interpretation. Students will begin the process of choosing a thesis or thesis project topic.

HIST 601 — Ancient Greek and Roman Thought. 3 hours.

An exploration of Greek and Roman political and historical understanding emphasizing the contributions of thinkers from Plato to Augustine. The crisis precipitated by the defeat of Athens in the Peloponnesian War, and the inability of the Greek poleis to find a basis for cooperation provides a relevant context for the exploration of Greek answers to the ultimate questions about the nature of reality and society.

HIST 602 — The Medieval European Experience. 3 hours.

An examination of major medieval themes of church and state, reason and faith by exploring defining works by Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, and numerous other writers in excerpt in the nine centuries between these pillars. The purpose of the course is to understand and appreciate both the ideals and the limitations of the unique medieval synthesis of the earthly and the heavenly. Extensive use will be made of Fordham University's Internet Medieval Sourcebook for primary documents online.

HIST 603 — The European Enlightenment. 3 hours.

A comparative study of leading thinkers from Locke to Rousseau, including Descartes, Locke, Edwards, Kant, Smith, Hume, Rousseau, and Wesley. The modern synthesis of empiricism, secularism, humanism, and rationalism as a unique cultural development will be analyzed and critiqued. Students will be assigned passages or segments from these major writers on key themes, and class activities will focus on discussion, analysis, and historical context.

HIST 604 — Postmodernism. 3 hours.

Postmodernism is the dominant intellectual tread in both the Global North and the Global South. Postmodernism arose out of the devastation wrought by World War I—piercing the apparently facile belief in humanitarian utopianism and was buttressed by Heisenberg's discovery of the uncertainly principle a decade later. Gone was the optimism of humanism and in was the despair of postmodern uncertainty. In this course students will explore the dominant features of postmodern philosophy and the will begin to analyze these features from a Christian perspective.

HIST 605 — Seminar in Current Christian Thought. 3 hours.

A student-oriented seminar class examining some salient aspect of the role of the Christian scholar and citizen in contemporary society. Topics might include the individualist, communitarian, and pluralist understandings of society, and the differences among Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant perspectives on the social and political roles of the Christian. Students will be assigned different schools or authors, present their assigned topics in class, and argue and defend their topics in debate. Students should also complete an outline of their theses or curriculum projects.

HIST 606 — The American Experience. 3 hours.

A survey utilizing leading American writers from Winthrop and Edwards to Dewey, James, DuBois, and King of the changing understanding of the American political and social experiment. Emphasis will be placed on analysis and critique of primary sources. Source excerpts will form the literature based of the class, and students and faculty presentations will provide historical and cultural context.

HIST 607 — America in the World. 3 hours.

A student-oriented seminar class examining diverse perspectives on the role of American political and economic power in the contemporary world, and in particular, the impact of that power on less-developed nations. Emphasis will be placed on the analysis and critique of secondary sources. Students will also complete bibliographies supporting their theses or thesis projects.

HIST 608 — Seminar. 3 hours.

A faculty-facilitated seminar in which students are aided in the development of their thesis proposal through reading, discussion, and research. The outcome of the class is a preliminary draft of their theses or theses projects.

HIST 697 — Project. 3 hours.

A directed research course for the completion of a thesis or thesis project rooted in primary sources, resulting in a 100-page document (or other approved form) in which the student addresses a critical question in either philosophy of history or political philosophy. The expected outcome is a final draft of the thesis or project.

HIST 699 — Thesis. 3 hours.

A directed research course for the completion of a thesis or thesis project rooted in primary sources, resulting in a 100-page document (or other approved form) in which the student addresses a critical question in either philosophy of history or political philosophy. The expected outcome is a final draft of the thesis or project.