Saints and cult sites were central to religious practice in the Christian Middle Ages. This course examines four sites (Qalʿat Simʿān, Constantinople, Conques, and Chartres) to find evolving concepts of sanctity and forms of cultic practice in medieval sociopolitical context. When did new kinds of saints emerge? How did holy people interact with others in their societies? How does architecture spatialize perception of the sacred, and how does art focus it? Ranging from fifth-century Syria to thirteenth-century France, the buildings to be discussed include monastic and pilgrimage churches, a palace chapel, and cathedrals. Artworks such as pilgrim’s tokens, mosaics, icons, manuscripts, reliquaries, statues, and stained-glass windows evidence the devotional “zones of attraction” within these buildings as well as the circulation of images beyond them and the rise of theories of art in the Middle Ages.
Ted and Shirley Taubeneck Superior Teaching Award
— 2021 Award-Winning Course —
The teaching excellence displayed in this course earned this professor the highest honor that the Humanities Seminars Program has to bestow: the Ted and Shirley Taubeneck Superior Teaching Award. This award is given annually by the Humanities Seminars Program. It is based entirely on student evaluations and seeks to honor the pedagogical skill, depth of expertise, and commitment to students demonstrated by the most outstanding faculty who teach for the Humanities Seminars Program.
We are delighted to re-release this award-winning course
during the Summer 2023 season.
- This course is offered as a recording. No live class sessions or meetings are scheduled with the professor or fellow students. Enrolled students will have the opportunity to connect with fellow students via an online discussion board if desired; however, participation is entirely voluntary.
- Access – enrolled students have complete access to course materials via the HSP Learning Portal online from the day of their registration until August 31, 2023. On September 1, 2023, the class video recordings will be removed; however, students will retain access to all other course materials online.
- Price – has been reduced from our regular course tuition rates. Enrollment provides access to all course materials, including the original syllabus, reading materials, and video recordings of all class sessions for a limited time.
- 2021 Superior Teaching Award Course Package – four courses were awarded in 2021 and all four are being re-released for a limited time during the Summer 2023 season. Students who desire to purchase the complete set of four award-winning courses will receive an additional $50 registration discount (applied automatically during registration). This represents a $330 total discount or almost 60% in savings compared to our regular tuition price for these courses.
Registration Will Open Online:
Monday, April 10, 2023, at 8 AM (AZ Time)
