Arts, Science and Society in an Age of Religious Reform: Early Modern Lessons for a Contemporary World
The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries were arguably the most dynamic and innovative period of European history, especially in terms of religion. The Protestant and Catholic Reformations challenged fundamental issues of belief and authority and transformed the very structure of the Christian community. But it was not just in the church where change was afoot. Science experienced its own revolution, and there were significant developments and innovations with art, music, literature and philosophy. Indeed, so many familiar features of our society and culture today originated in this period. This class will examine the critical changes occurring in religion, the arts and the sciences. We will also consider what lessons and challenges they pose for the contemporary world.
Schedule This class has now concluded. See below for audio from this class.
Howard Louthan is an Associate Professor of History and an affiliate faculty member in Religion at the University of Florida. He specializes in the history of early modern central Europe with an emphasis on cultural and religious history.
September 20: “Seeking God in Verse: The Sublime Poetry of John Donne and George Herbert,” J. Stephen Addcox, PhD Candidate in English, UF
Stephen Addcox is a graduate student studying Victorian literature at the University of Florida. His dissertation explores the intersections of memory, testimony, and legal narrative in 19th-century British fiction.
September 27: “Musical Reform in the Counter Reformation: Implications for Today,” Ed Schaefer, Associate Dean, College of Fine Arts, UF
Ed Schaefer is the Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs in the College of Fine Arts at the University of Florida. His research is focused on Gregorian chant and the music of the Roman Catholic Mass.
October 4: “A Problem with Pictures in the Era of Reform,” Elizabeth Ross, Assistant Professor, School of Art and Art History, UF (No audio available for this session.)
Elizabeth Ross is an Assistant Professor in the School of Art and Art History at the University of Florida. Her research addresses 15th and 16th-century art in Europe, including early modern decorative arts, the art of prints, and the history of the book.
John Sommerville is professor emeritus of history at the University of Florida. His past work has emphasized religion and secularization in early modern England.
October 18: BREAK
October 25: “The Lingering Heritage of Galileo’s Crime,” Fred Gregory, Professor Emeritus of History, UF
Fred Gregory is professor emeritus of history of science and European history at the University of Florida. He has studied the history of science in 19th-century Germany and the relationship between science in theology in the 19th century.
Richard Horner is the Executive Director of the Christian Study Center. He received his PhD from the University of Virginia in the Intellectual History of Modern Europe.
Cancelled November 8: “The Early Modern Roots of the Postmodern Condition: The Reformation, Modern Philosophy, and the State,” Brad Gregory, Associate Professor of History, University of Notre Dame