HIST 329
The Christianization of Europe Spring 2010
Division II Writing Skills
This is not the current course catalog

The most important development in the history of Europe was its conversion to Christianity during Late Antiquity and the early Middle Ages. In the fourth century the Roman emperors embraced Christianity as the new religion of their Mediterranean empire, and in subsequent centuries bishops, monks, and missionaries gradually converted the barbarian peoples of Europe to the new religion. In the process, Christianity transformed the peoples and kingdoms it came into contact with and bequeathed to them the legacy of the Roman imperial past. This course explores how the late Roman empire became Christian and how Christianity influenced the polities and societies of early medieval Europe. In the process we will explore such topics as the emergence of Christian doctrine and monasticism, the lives and thoughts of the Church Fathers, the role of saints and missionaries, the function of relics and miracles, the formation of the Church and Papacy, the politics of conversion of kings and kingdoms, the development of Christian art and literature, and the impact of Christianity on everyday religious practices and beliefs.