Christian History

St Francis of Assisi: Mission and Mayhem in the Middle Ages

This item will be released June 17, 2023.

Taught by Dr. Matthew Hoskin
Runs 7/3 – 8/26/23
$225.00 – $399.00

One of the most enduringly popular saints of the medieval West was St Francis of Assisi. You’ve probably seen him as a bird bath or garden statue or heard the famous story of him preaching to a bunch of birds. And there’s a chance that an Episcopal church near you does a blessing of animals every October. But did you know that St Francis’s primary mission on earth was to preach repentance to the people of God? He was also what we might call a “mystic”, a missionary to the Muslims, and the first poet in the Italian language (you’ve probably sung one of his hymns, “All Creatures of Our God and King”). In this course, students will encounter the life of St Francis as recounted by those who knew him as well as by St Bonaventure, his own writings, and the founding documents of the Order of Friars Minor, placing them all in the context of thirteenth-century Italy and the pontificate of Pope Innocent III.

Deadline to register: Saturday, June 17th

 

 

ENROLLMENT OPTIONS

Auditing ($225):

participate in readings and live class sessions, but no graded assignments and no course credit

Full course (Full-Time Discount) ($275):

for-credit courses (at least four per term) toward our Certificate or M.Litt in Classical Protestantism

Full course ($399):

individual classes on a for-credit basis; you can later apply them toward a Certificate or Degree

 

ENROLL NOW

Description

This Christian History course will be taught by Dr. Matthew Hoskin, and will run from July 3rd through August 26th. The syllabus can be found here.

One of the most enduringly popular saints of the medieval West was St Francis of Assisi. You’ve probably seen him as a bird bath or garden statue or heard the famous story of him preaching to a bunch of birds. And there’s a chance that an Episcopal church near you does a blessing of animals every October. But did you know that St Francis’s primary mission on earth was to preach repentance to the people of God? He was also what we might call a “mystic”, a missionary to the Muslims, and the first poet in the Italian language (you’ve probably sung one of his hymns, “All Creatures of Our God and King”). In this course, students will encounter the life of St Francis as recounted by those who knew him as well as by St Bonaventure, his own writings, and the founding documents of the Order of Friars Minor, placing them all in the context of thirteenth-century Italy and the pontificate of Pope Innocent III.

Dr. Matthew Hoskin (PhD, University of Edinburgh) teaches ancient and medieval Christian history for Davenant Hall. His research focuses on manuscripts, monks, popes, canon law, and councils, which all feature in his book, The Manuscripts of Leo the Great’s Letters (2022), and he blogs about the historic faith at Classically Christian. He lives on Superior’s northern shore in Thunder Bay, Ontario, with his wife and sons.

Details

Online only, runs 8 weeks, meeting 2 hr./wk. via Zoom. Students will also have the option to participate in class discussion on the Davenant Common Room Discord server. Register to reserve your spot and schedule will be set after a poll of participating students; if the class time does not fit your schedule, you will be eligible for a full refund.

This is a graduate-level course. Although a BA is not a necessary pre-requisite for this course, students should come prepared to do graduate-level work.