Course Information:

Instructor: C. Fee

Meeting Time: W 6:30-9:00 PM

Meeting Place: Breidenbaugh 307

Office: Breidenbaugh 406

Office Hours: MW 9:00-10:00, TH 2:00-4:00 (in my office;) F 1:30-2:30 (at the Ragged Edge;) and by appointment

Office Phone: x6762

Home Phone (Call before 10:00 pm): 528-4799

E-mail: cfee@gettysburg.edu

Course Description:

Most simply put, "mysticism" may be defined as a contemplative attempt to transcend the boundaries of Human existence and to participate in direct, personal communion with the Divine. Any study of Medieval mysticism must include an exploration of the struggle of religious women and men to find the language to put into words intense and intensely personal devotional practices, visions, and experiences. Rather than simply recording emotional reactions to rigid Patristic understandings of God, Medieval mystics often wrestled to reconcile the theological implications of their personal faiths with the doctrines of their Church. Beginning with an exploration of the influence of Plato upon Medieval mystical thought and practice, this course will extend from the earliest influences upon Christian mysticism through some of its greatest Medieval participants, including Julian of Norwich, Hildegard of Bingen, and John of the Cross. Mysticism is a movement not limited to Christianity or to the Middle Ages, however, and thus our study will include glimpses into Jewish and Islamic mystic traditions, and we will discuss some early Protestant mystics near the end of the course. We will conclude with a discussion of the relevance of Medieval mysticism in the context of our own post-modern culture.

Required Texts (in order of use):

The Cistercian World: Monastic Writings of the Twelfth Century
P. M. Matarasso
Penguin Classic (1993)
ISBN: 0140433562

Late Medieval Mysticism
Ray C. Petry
John Knox Press (1980)
ISBN: 0664241638

Hildegard of Bingen: Selected Writings
Mark Atherton
Penguin Classic (2001)
ISBN: 0140436049

Meister Eckhart: Selected Writings
Oliver Davies
Penguin Classic (1995)
ISBN: 0140433430

English Mystics of the Middle Ages
Barry Windeatt
Cambridge University Press (1994)
ISBN: 0521327407

The Cloud of Unknowing and Other Works
A. Spearing
Penguin Classic (2002)
ISBN: 0140447628

Revelations of Divine Love: The Short Text and Long Text of Julian of Norwich
A. Spearing
Penguin Classic (1999)
ISBN: 0140446737

The Life of Saint Teresa of Avila by Herself
J. M. Cohen
Penguin Classic (1988)
ISBN: 0140440739

Dark Night of the Soul of John of the Cross
Mirabai Starr
Riverhead (2003)
ISBN: 1573229741

The Heart and the Fountain : An Anthology of Jewish Mystical Experiences
Joseph Dan
Oxford University Press (2003)
ISBN: 0195139798

Early Islamic Mysticism: Sufi, Qur'an, Mi'raj, Poetic and Theological Writings
Michael A. Sells
Paulist Press (1995)
ISBN: 0809136198

Reserved Primary Texts:

English Mystics of the Middle Ages
Barry Windeatt
Cambridge University Press (1994)
Call Number: BV5077.E54 E54 1993

Late Medieval Mysticism
Ray C. Petry
John Knox Press (1980)
Call Number: BV5072 .P4

The Heart and the Fountain : An Anthology of Jewish Mystical Experiences
Joseph Dan
Oxford University Press (2003)
Call Number: BM723 .H36 2002

Early Islamic Mysticism: Sufi, Qur'an, Mi'raj, Poetic and Theological Writings
Michael A. Sells
Paulist Press (1995)
Call Number: BP188.9 .E2 1996  

Reserved Secondary Text:

Mystics of the Christian Tradition
Steven Fanning
Routledge (2001)
Call Number: BV5075 .F36 2001

Required On-line Text:

Ancrene Wisse
Robert Hasenfratz
Medieval Institute Publications (2000)
ISBN: 1580440703
Text available online: http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/teams/hasenfratz.htm)

Course Structure & Objectives:

The format of this course primarily will be Socratic: Discussion will arise from questions posed by the instructor, drawn from the weekly email queries, or raised by students in the class. Be ready, able, and prepared to participate in classroom discussion. Be wrestling with the question "what is mysticism?" as you read each text; think about the ways that each text exemplifies possible answers to that question, and about the array of related queries which arises concurrently, such as "what is God?", "what am I?", and "do these questions matter"? Be especially sensitive to how and why each text seems to you to be familiar, alien, or neither; have these texts anything to tell us about ourselves? Do they prompt us to ask questions of value? How so? Why not?

Learning Goals:

In this course we will study and discuss a range of authors, texts, and cultures which evoke many aspects of mysticism as these were developed in Europe in the Middle Ages. Students who successfully complete this course will be aware of the larger historical and cultural context of the Medieval literature of mysticism, and will be able to trace some connections between times, texts, and cultures. By examining with a critical eye (but with an open mind) that which is alien (and that which is familiar) residing amongst the roots of the western culture in which we live, one stands to gain insight into cultures Medieval and modern, as well as an introduction into ways of interacting with and benefiting from that which is the other, that which seems strange and inexplicable, that which makes one uncomfortable. 

The assignments for this course are designed both to facilitate and to interrogate each student’s exploration of Medieval mysticism and the relevance thereof in a post-modern, consumerist culture. The reading, writing, research, and discussion requirements of this course are intended to foster oral and written effective communications skills; the interdisciplinary format is meant to promote integrative thinking; finally, the emphasis on different modes of Medieval mysticism may inform understandings of conceptual, cultural, or domestic diversity. Mysticism sometimes seems to support and sometimes seems to erode power structures; women often are empowered through mysticism, but very often at the price of enclosure; mysticism transcends religion or culture, and thus opens ways of discerning multiple paths to and conceptions of the divine, and yet tends to attract and to cultivate the extremely devout of particular faiths. Struggling with any such a paradox, whether or not resolution is achieved, forces us to confront our own comfortable assumptions and our easy acquiescence regarding received wisdom. This course is designed in the hope of promoting habits of rigorous intellectual self-examination.

A Note on the Reading:

Readings listed for a particular week should be completed before class that week; most of the reading for this course is in modern English translations, although you will need to read some Middle English texts. In any case, the reading load, roughly a book or so a week, is not exceptional for an upper-level literature course. Much of the material may at first seem alien, however, so allow ample time for reading, absorbing, and re-reading. Further, be sure to read the introduction to each work; you should be prepared to field questions concerning the general information provided in the introduction, as each class will begin with a series of queries grounded upon the basic background knowledge provided by the introductions.

Course Schedule:

Reading assignments in boldface (to be completed before the designated class period!)

Week 1—Introduction to Mysticism:  From Plato to Patristics; of Monasteries, Hermits, and Anchorites

Week 2:  Bernard of Clairvaux and Francis of Assisi (The Cistercian World in entirety; Late Medieval Mysticism 17-125)

Week 3:  Hildegard of Bingen (Hildegard of Bingen: Selected Writings in entirety)

Week 4:  Meister Eckhart (Meister Eckhart: Selected Writings in entirety)

Week 5:  REACTION PAPER ONE DUE. Richard Rolle of Hampole (English Mystics of the Middle Ages 1-66; Late Medieval Mysticism 208-244)

Week 6:  The Cloud of Unknowing & Walter Hilton (The Cloud of Unknowing and Other Works in entirety; English Mystics of the Middle Ages 67-110 & 156-172)

Week 7: Medieval English Anchoresses and the Ancrene Wisse. GUEST SPEAKER: Robert Hasenfratz, Associate Professor of English at the University of Connecticut, editor of the Middle English Ancrene Wisse or the “Anchoresses’ Guide”, and general editor of the scholarly journal Mystics Quarterly. (Selections from the Ancrene Wisse. Text available online: http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/teams/hasenfratz.htm).

Week 8: Julian of Norwich & Margery Kemp (Revelations of Divine Love in entirety; English Mystics of the Middle Ages 181-236)

Week 9:  REACTION PAPER TWO DUE. Theresa of Avila (The Life of Theresa of Avila by Herself in entirety)

Week 10:  Saint John of the Cross (Dark Night of the Soul in entirety)

Week 11:  Post-Reformation Mysticism: Of Protestants, Trembling Faith, and Hearts Strangely Warmed (ON RESERVE: Mystics of the Christian Tradition 139-189)

Week 12:  Kabbalah and Medieval Jewish Mysticism (The Heart and the Fountain in entirety)

Week 13:  REACTION PAPER THREE DUE. Sufism and Medieval Islamic Mysticism (Early Islamic Mysticism in entirety)

Week 14—FIRST DRAFT OF FINAL PAPER DUE. Conclusion:  What’s Love got to do with it? Medieval Mysticism in Post-Modern Context (ON RESERVE: Mystics of the Christian Tradition 190-220)

Course Evaluation:

Regular Attendance and Demonstrable Preparation: 10% (More than one unexcused absence will result in failure of the course.)

5 Unannounced Reading Quizzes: 10% (2% each)

3 Reaction Papers: 30% (10% each)

Preparation & Participation:

You are expected to be present, prepared, and ready to participate in each and every class period. "Preparation," for this class, entails a fair amount of reading and thinking before each class: Although much of the reading for this class is in modern English in accessible editions, there is a reasonable amount of it, and much of it will be new. Reading assigned for a particular week should be completed before the relevant class period; read ahead whenever possible. Also take care to read the introductions and notes carefully, as these will provide the context for some of the more alien and/or confusing aspects. Some find participating in class discussions to be fun and easy, while others find it threatening and uncomfortable. You need not be a big talker to do well in this class (although it usually doesn't hurt!) but you do need to be prepared to answer an occasional question, articulate intelligent confusion, or voice the odd query (about the subject matter at hand rather than, say, grading procedures!).

Unannounced Quizzes:

We have a lot of material to cover this term, and much of it will be new to you and may seem alien at first; it is therefore vital that you keep abreast of the regular reading.  To ensure that you have a regular impetus to do so, we will have a series of short (10 minute maximum) Quizzes. If you are late or absent we will have moved on, and Quizzes may not be made up. These Quizzes will be structured to test your basic comprehension of the material, not to trick you in any way, so if you’ve done the reading (introductions, too!) you should be all right.

Email Queries:

Make notes of those issues which interest, intrigue, annoy, or confuse you, and email to me, at least two hours before each class period, at least three (3) substantive questions pertaining to the text at hand for that week. I will keep these in a file until the end of the term; this portion of your grade will be determined by the quantity and quality of the queries you generate over the course of the term in response to the reading. As these exercises are meant to spur and extend class discussions, Email Queries may not be made up.

Reaction Papers:

Each student must write three (3) 600-1000 word (2-4 page) Reaction Papers. These are due every four weeks, and should deal with one or more of the texts covered during the previous month; Reaction Paper One, for example, should deal with Bernard, Francis, Hildegard, and/or Meister Eckhart. You may write about whatever strikes your fancy: What is interesting? What is boring? What relates to post-modern life? What is entirely alien? What is offensive? Why do you feel the way that you do about it? Say what's on your mind about the texts and/or discussions, but don't fail to examine your own reactions, perceptions, and preconceptions. Moreover, be sure to cite copiously and to discuss substantively specific, relevant passages from the text(s). Generally speaking, what is most important about these exercises is your attempt to assimilate class discussions, readings from the texts, and your own intellectual and emotional responses. Try to react substantively with the material, and feel free to take some risks; as long as it is clear that you have put ample time and judicious thought into these exercises, and as long as you cite and discuss several relevant passages from the text(s), you will do quite well on this portion of the course. As these exercises are meant to spur and extend class discussions, Reaction Papers may not be made up. There are three papers, and each is due at the beginning of class, during weeks 5, 9, and 13.

Final Paper:

The final paper should embrace the topic, "What’s Love got to do with it? Medieval Mysticism in Post-Modern Context". As that theme suggests, this paper should discuss the relevance, in contemporary America, of the concepts, texts, and contexts we've discussed over the course of the term. This paper will require substantial discussion of your own ideas, of course, but must be grounded in close textual examination of three (3) or more primary texts from the course, and should reflect research in the form of substantive interaction with no fewer than three (3) critical discussions of mysticism, one of which must be Mystics of the Christian Tradition. Our library holdings are quite good concerning Medieval mysticism, and I will put more texts on reserve as the need arises; in any case, you should find no dearth of relevant scholarly sources. A first draft of the final paper, composed of no less than a detailed outline and several pages of a typed draft (1000 word minimum), is due at the beginning of our final class period. The final draft is due exactly one week later. The final draft should include 3,000-4,000 words (10-15 pages).

Final Exam:

The exam will combine short-answer identification of key terms and concepts with passage identifications and essay questions. The Final Exam will be take-home in format, and will be due by the end of the appropriate finals slot. The exam is intended to give you an opportunity to display how well you have absorbed the reading and discussion material, as well as to give me a chance to gauge your mastery of critical analysis.