by bartmann | Oct 10, 2024
Christianity is no longer primarily a western religion. In 1900, 82 percent of all Christians lived in Europe and North America. Today, that percentage has shrunk to 30 percent. Still, there are now just as many Christians across the world as there were in 1900. What...
by bartmann | Oct 10, 2024
Unlike comedy and tragedy, the history play was a recent form when Shakespeare turned to it. Depending on the play’s historical sources, the plot could follow either a tragic or a comic pattern and conclude either in resolution and triumph or in conflict and defeat....
by bartmann | Oct 10, 2024
In “Hawai`i’s Ancient Past,” we delve into the islands’ rich history and evolution—spanning natural phenomena, the Polynesian settlers, and the unique ecosystem developed in isolation. Through interdisciplinary research including biology,...
by bartmann | Oct 10, 2024
This course delves into the divergent perspectives of America as depicted by Edward Hopper and Norman Rockwell. Rockwell captures the nation’s warmth and unity, while Hopper exposes its solitude. We will examine how their portrayals of color, class, and gender...
by bartmann | Oct 10, 2024
Explore the concept of collective intelligence, where group behavior leads to efficient problem-solving. Discover how natural and engineered systems, like ant colonies, cellular societies, and computer networks, exhibit intelligent behaviors similar to human...
by bartmann | Jun 14, 2024
“Is this the real thing?” Museum professionals periodically get this question, where wide-eyed visitors are struck by the reality that they are face-to-face with authentic works of art. But what exactly does it mean for an artwork to be considered authentic, or...
by bartmann | Jun 14, 2024
Dive into a pivotal moment in history and examine what the Romans themselves considered their darkest hour: the war with Hannibal Barca. This course offers an in-depth exploration based on close readings from ancient sources in translation to provide a comprehensive...
by bartmann | Jun 14, 2024
Dive into the rhythmic heart of America with a journey through the history and evolution of tap dance, a quintessentially American art form born in the 1800s. This course offers a unique examination of culture, history, and artistry, tracing tap’s roots from its...
by bartmann | Jun 14, 2024
This course seeks to break down the controversies surrounding Critical Race Theory. We begin by defining the many terms that have moved out of scholarly circles and into the headlines, social media, and school board and legislative debates: critical race...
by bartmann | Jun 14, 2024
China’s rich history often remains elusive to the Western world. This course will shed light on the history of thought in China and provide students with a solid framework for future engagement and understanding. We will explore China’s key intellectual...
by bartmann | Jun 14, 2024
Discover the captivating journey of humans across the Pacific in our course, “Polynesia and the Pacific Island Past.” Delve into groundbreaking research from archaeology, genetics, and linguistics that reshapes our understanding of ancient migrations and...
by bartmann | Jun 14, 2024
In this course, we will explore the Renaissance via the life and literary genius of Francesco Petrarca, famously known as Petrarch. Considered the father of the Italian Renaissance, Petrarch’s scholarship and advocacy for the importance of classical Rome were...
by bartmann | Jun 14, 2024
The 1920s are frequently romanticized in popular culture as an era of unprecedented freedom and flamboyance, with images of flappers and clandestine speakeasies serving bootleg liquor. While some of that is accurate, this portrayal only scratches the surface of a...
by bartmann | Jun 14, 2024
Journey back to ancient Mars with a pioneer in Martian research. Uncover the secrets of a time when Mars boasted Earth-like hydrology, complete with flowing rivers and vast seas, most notably the “Oceanus Borealis,” which covered much of the northern part...
by bartmann | Jun 14, 2024
Embark on a chronological and thematic grand tour of Rome through its cinematic representations, where history and artistry converge in films that have captivated audiences worldwide. In this course, we will explore Rome’s portrayal on the big screen, from...
by bartmann | Jun 14, 2024
In this course, we will explore the concept of memes and how they resonate so powerfully with their audiences both today and throughout human history. We will define the term “meme,” examine the many forms that memes can take, and learn to interpret and understand the...
by bartmann | Apr 4, 2024
What inspired Romantic composers of the 19th century to create the significant piano works that continue to speak profoundly to today’s audiences? Throughout the Romantic era the piano and the pianist-composers who wrote for it assumed an increasingly important role...
by bartmann | Apr 4, 2024
This course examines modern histories of collective memories through the institutions and technologies that facilitate recall, such as museums, photography, and visual culture. We will consider moments of tension when history and memory appear to be at odds, when...
by bartmann | Apr 4, 2024
This course surveys the music of Ludwig van Beethoven from the perspectives of different professors at the Fred Fox School of Music. Jay Rosenblatt begins with an overview of Beethoven’s life: his youth in Bonn, the reasons for his move to Vienna, and the outline of...
by bartmann | Apr 4, 2024
This seminar focuses on the six poets (one recently rediscovered) who most defined English Romanticism in poetry and verse drama between 1798 and 1824. It emphasizes their philosophical, emotional, and stylistic tugs-of-war, despite their quite different politics:...
