St. Michael's College, U of T

SMC Courses:

SMC 211H1 | The Middle Ages and the Movies

This course examines the ways mediaeval themes have been presented in the cinema over the last century by taking exemplary films from different countries and epochs. The purpose is to explore each on three levels: the mediaeval reality, the subsequent legendary or literary elaboration, and the twentieth-century film rendition, regarded equally as work of art, ideology and economic product.

SMC 215H1 | Varieties of Christian Community

Christian history has been characterized by an enduring and fruitful search for forms of religious community. This course surveys some communal attempts to express Christianity, monasticism, forms of common life for clerics, the Mendicants, lay confraternities, religious orders, and contemporary lay movements.

SMC 337H1 | Early Celtic History 450-1000 (formerly SMC 345Y1)

The history of the insular Celtic nation groups from the post-Roman period to the end of the first millennium, the course will trace settlement history and social organization, the making of Celtic nations, the process of Christianization, the impact of the Vikings, and the rise of paramount kings.
Exclusion: SMC345Y1

SMC 338H1 | The Celtic Nations in the Later Middle Ages 1000-1550 (formerly SMC 345Y1)

Later medieval development of Ireland, Scotland and Wales: development of kingship, trade and urban settlement, arrival and colonizing patterns of the Normans, role of English administration and aggression, resurgence of native elites, development of frontier zones, beginning of the more compete English conquest of Ireland and Wales.
Exclusion: SMC345Y1

SMC 357H1 | The Mediaeval Child

This course examines birth, nourishment, education and death of children in the Middle Ages. What was it like to be a mediaeval boy or girl? What kind of relationship did children have with their parents, with their teachers, or with other children? Primary sources are examined and interdisciplinary methods employed.
Recommended preparation: SMC 210Y1/HIS 220Y1

SMC 403H1 | The Mediaeval Church

This seminar explores the development of some of the institutions of mediaeval Christendom, such as guilds, the University and the Papacy, in relation to social and intellectual movements of the age.
Recommended preparation: SMC 210Y1/HIS 220Y1

SMC 421H1 | Jews and Judaism in Christian Traditions

A seminar devoted to examining the changing representation of Jews and Judaism within Christian traditions over the past two thousand years.
Prerequisite: Completion of 10 full-course credits; permission of the instructor
Recommended preparation: SMC 200Y1

SMC 435H1 | Independent Studies in Mediaeval Studies

An independent research project to be proposed by the student and supervised by a member of faculty affiliated with the Mediaeval Studies Program.
Prerequisite: Ten full courses

Cross Listed Courses:

CLA 378H1 Late Antiquity
HIS 208Y1 History of the Jewish People
HIS 220Y1 The Shape of Medieval Society
HIS 251Y1 History of East Central Europe
HIS 320H1 Barbarian Invasions and the Fall of the Roman Empire
HIS 321H1 Dark Age Europe, 7th-10th Centuries
HIS 322Y1 The High Middle Ages
HIS 323H1 Rites of Passage and Daily Life in the Middle Ages
HIS 336H1 Medieval Spain
HIS 403Y1 Jews and Christians in Medieval and Renaissance Europe
HIS 424H1 Violence in Medieval Society
HIS 427H1 History and Historiography in the Golden Legend
HIS 428H1 Institutes of Perfection
HIS 432H1 Topics in Mediaeval History
HIS 434Y1 Kievan Rus’
HIS 438H1 Inquisition and Society in Medieval and Early Modern Europe
HPS 201H1 Origins of Western Technology
HPS 430H1 History of Technology I
NMC 270H1 Christians of the Middle East
NMC 273Y1 Early Islamic History: The Prophet and the Caliphates
NMC 396Y1 The Islamic City
NMC 376H1 History of Islamic Spain and North Africa (640-1492)
NMC 377Y1 The Ottoman Empire to 1800

SMC Courses:

SMC 205H1 | Varieties of Christian Experience

Exploration of the variety of forms which Christian personal experience has taken in the course of history (martyrdom, mysticism, monasticism, sanctification of ordinary life, etc.) in order to appreciate their variety, complexity, and deep unity.

SMC 307Y1 | Scripture in the Christian Tradition

An introduction to the place and meaning of the Bible within the Christian tradition; the practice of biblical interpretation in the patristic, medieval and modern periods; a contemporary reading of one of the Gospels and of a letter of Paul.

SMC 324H1 | The Study of the Bible in the Middle Ages       

This course explores mediaeval biblical commentary and the various approaches taken by the exegetes to uncover the secrets of the sacred page, for instance through the “four senses” of Scripture: history, allegory, tropology, and anagogy.
Recommended Preparation: SMC210Y

SMC 332H1 | Apocalypse and Millennium

The study of past outbursts of Christian interest in the millennium theme, and the end of the world, modern manifestations of this trend, and the implications of its contemporary revitalization at the dawn of the third millennium.

SMC 350H1 | Celtic Spirituality

The religious culture of the early and mediaeval Celtic Church as manifested in the material and written record, and its significance for contemporary religious movements. Texts studied include the Patrician dossier, early monastic Rules and Liturgies, selected hagiographical, homiletic, devotional and lyric texts.

SMC 359H1 | Mediaeval Theology

An introduction to the discipline of theology as taught in the mediaeval schools. Building on a basic knowledge of Christian scriptures and of philosophical argument, this course will offer an organic exposition of mediaeval theology, together with an introduction into the scientific method of theological investigation as practised in the Middle Ages.
Recommended preparation: SMC 210Y1

SMC 361H1 | Mediaeval Law (formerly SMC 405H1)

Mediaeval jurisprudence combines the high technical quality of Roman law with the requirements of Christianity. The seminar provides an overview of the development of mediaeval learned jurisprudence; select texts from Roman and canon law, with their glosses, are read in order to explore more specifically the methods and concerns of mediaeval jurists.
Recommended preparation: HIS 220Y1/SMC 210Y1
Exclusion: SMC 405H1

SMC 402H1 | Mediaeval Canon Law

The rise of the science of canon law is one of the great intellectual developments of the High Middle Ages. In the proposed course, the aims and techniques of the canonical jurists would be explored by a close reading of their normative texts and glosses.
Recommended preparation: HIS 220Y1/SMC 203Y1/SMC 210Y1

SMC 425H1 | Uses of the Bible in the Middle Ages

An examination of the use of the Bible in the mediaeval period (500-1500) as source of motifs in art and architecture, provider of stories for poetry and drama, authority in legal and political debate, and tool for teaching and preaching.
Prerequisite: One course in mediaeval history, art or literature; knowledge of the biblical text; completion of 10 full-course credits

SMC 435H1 | Independent Studies in Mediaeval Studies

An independent research project to be proposed by the student and supervised by a member of faculty affiliated with the Mediaeval Studies Program.
Prerequisite: Ten full courses

SMC436H1 | Advanced Mediaeval Latin Seminar        

This seminar explores the intellectual milieu of the cathedral schools of the twelfth century and the debates of its famous and infamous protagonists: Abelard, for instance, and Bernard of Clairvaux, Heloise, Peter the Venerable, etc. Readings in the original Latin will be discussed and commented upon by students.
Prerequisite: SMC323H1
Recommended Preparation: SMC210Y1

Cross Listed Courses:

CLA 336H1 Roman Law
MAT 390H1 History of Mathematics up to 1700
PHL 200Y1 Ancient Philosophy
PHL 205H1 Early Medieval Philosophy
PHL 206H1 Later Medieval Philosophy
PHL 303H1 Plato
PHL 304H1 Aristotle
PHL 307H1 Augustine
PHL 308H1 Aquinas
PHL 309H1 Topics in Medieval Philosophy
PHL 336H1 Islamic Philosophy
RLG 241Y Early Christian Writings I
RLG 331Y1 Eastern Christianity

SMC Courses:

SMC 222H1 | Mediaeval Latin I (formerly LAT 322H1, SMC 332H1)

A survey of the prose and poetry of the Middle Ages with emphasis on the linguistic features of mediaeval Latin.
Prerequisite: LAT 100Y1
Exclusion: LAT 322H1; SMC 322H1

SMC 250Y1 | Celtic Mythology (formerly SMC 450Y1)

This course covers the range of the Celtic mythological record from all the Celtic areas through an examination of the archaeological, inscriptional and textual sources. A critical evaluation is offered of various relevant mythic approaches.
Exclusion: SMC450Y1

SMC 343Y1 | Celtic Literature and Society 500-1400

Medieval Celtic literatures in relation to the structure and development of the insular Celtic societies that produced them. Readings include: historical writings mythic tales,, saga cycles, voyage tales, and romantic narratives,, heroic poetry, eulogistic, religious, lyric, and gnomic poetry. Texts studied in translation.

SMC 360H1 | Vernacular Literature of the Middle Ages (formerly SMC 420H1)

This course surveys mediaeval vernacular literature within the cultural context of Europe and considers the development of different literary genres such as epic, romance and lyric. Relations between vernacular literatures, and between vernacular and latin literature are also studied.
Recommended preparation: SMC 210Y1
Exclusion: SMC 410H1

SMC 435H1 | Independent Studies in Mediaeval Studies

An independent research project to be proposed by the student and supervised by a member of faculty affiliated with the Mediaeval Studies Program.
Prerequisite: Ten full courses

SMC 440Y1 | Middle Welsh Language and Literature

An introduction to the Welsh language and literature from the 10th to the 14th centuries.
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor

SMC 441Y1 | Old and Middle Irish

An introduction to Old and Middle Irish language and literature from the 7th to the 11th century.
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor

Cross Listed Courses:

ENG 240Y1 Old English Language and Literature
ENG 300Y1 Chaucer
ENG 311H1 Medieval Literature
ENG 330H1 Early Drama
ENG 385H1 History of the English Language
FRE 318H1 Medieval French Literature (formerly FRE 321H1)
FRE 471H1 Medieval French Language
GER 429H1 Topics in Medieval German Literature
ITA 311H1 Medieval Italian Literature in Translation: Dante
ITA 312H1 Medieval Italian Literature in Translation: Petrarch and Boccaccio
ITA 320H1 Dante: Vita Nuova and Divina Commedia (Inferno)
ITA 430H1 History of the Italian Language
LAT 100Y1 Introductory Latin
NMC 255Y1 Arabic Literature in Translation
NMC 350H1 Syriac Literature in Translation
SLA 330Y1 Old Church Slavonic
SPA 425H1 History of the Spanish Language
SPA 450H1 Studies in Medieval Iberian Literature

SMC Courses:

SMC 302H1 | Christianity and Symbols

The originality of Christian symbolism is explored through texts, images, and other media. We examine theories of symbolism, then explore the use of Christian symbolism and symbolic patterns in ancient and medieval art, architecture and literature.

SMC 344Y1 | Celtic Archaeology

The archaeology of the Celtic peoples, with special reference to settlement patterns and material culture in Great Britain and Ireland. This is a Social Science course.

SMC 358H1 | The Mediaeval Book

This course examines the most salient aspects of mediaeval manuscript culture. We will study, first, how the parchment for books was folded, pricked, ruled and bound, and second, what scripts were employed in the different codices. We will also examine the various types of books made in the Middle Ages and the challenges they pose to modern scholars.
Recommended preparation: LAT100Y1; SMC210Y1 or a course in mediaeval history.

SMC 422H1 | Sacred Space in the Christian Tradition

An examination of the development of sacred space in the early Church, reflection upon its place in the imaginative landscape of the European Middle Ages, and discussion of its implications for the understanding of space and place in our own culture.
Prerequisite: One course in the History of Christianity; completion of 10 full-course credits
Recommended preparation: SMC 200Y1

SMC 435H1 | Independent Studies in Mediaeval Studies

An independent research project to be proposed by the student and supervised by a member of faculty affiliated with the Mediaeval Studies Program.
Prerequisite: Ten full courses

Cross Listed Courses:

*(Note that admission to FAH courses at the 400 level is limited. Please
contact the Fine Art History Department early if you wish to enrol.)

FAH 215H1 Early Medieval Art and Architecture
FAH 216H1 Later Medieval Art and Architecture
FAH 316H1 Accessing the Sacred
FAH 318H1 Monastic Art and Architecture
FAH 319H1 Illuminated Manuscripts
FAH 325H1 Church Decoration
FAH 326H1 Art and Liturgy
FAH 327H1 Secular Art and Architecture of the Middle Ages
FAH 328H1 Gothic Cathedral
FAH 420H1 Studies in Western Medieval Art and Architecture
FAH 421H1 Studies in Medieval Cities
FAH 424H1 Studies in Medieval Book Illumination
FAH 425H1 Studies in Medieval Art and Gender
FAH 426H1 Medieval Art in Local Collections
FAH 492H1/Y1 Independent Studies in Medieval Art and Architecture
MUS 208H1 Medieval and Renaissance Masterpieces
NMC 396Y1 The Islamic City

SMC Courses:

SMC 406H1 | Mediaeval Seminar II

A fourth-year seminar on a topic to be determined annually.
Prerequisite: Permission of the Instructor
Recommended preparation: SMC 210Y1 or other mediaeval courses

SMC 407Y1 | Mediaeval Seminar I

A fourth-year seminar on a topic to be determined annually.
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor
Recommended preparation: SMC 210Y1 or other mediaeval courses

SMC 490Y1 | Senior Essay in Mediaeval Studies

A scholarly project chosen by the student in consultation with an instructor and approved by the Program Co-ordinator. Arrangements for the choice of topic and supervisor must be completed by the student before registration.