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Spring 2009
The Papacy and the Development of the Church in Rome
Since the fourth century, Rome has been a city of the Christian Church, the
center and embodiment of the Roman Catholic Church. The history of the city is
tied to the history of the Church and is intimately connected with its leaders,
the popes. Students in the course will study the development of the meaning of
the papacy throughout history. They will critically examine the interaction
between theory (the understanding and theology of the papacy) and reality (the
actual lives of the men who filled this role and often fell far short of the
ideal, the places they walked, and the buildings and artwork they inspired).
Through a study of the historical development of the papacy, students will
reflect on the Roman Catholic understanding of Church and its commitment to the
Pope as the successor of Peter, Vicar of Christ, and Servant of the Servants of
God.
Instructor: Dr. David Dawson Vasquez
Books
Art & Architecture of Ancient Rome
This course is intended to offer students an introduction to the city of Rome
that is topographic, architectural, and art historical in nature. In our study of Rome,
we will focus on developments in the architecture, painting, sculpture, and
urban development in the city. While our survey is limited to antiquity,
it is understood that Rome’s modern urban fabric is profoundly affected
by the events of the ancient period, so this course is also intended to
facilitate your understanding of the modern city in which you are spending the semester.
Instructor: Dr. Laura Flusche
Books
Philosophical Perspectives: The Project of Modernity
This course is designed as the second part of an introduction into philosophy with focus on early modern and modern philosophy. Major themes are the awakening of human concerns ('humanism'), including reflection on humanity in the world and philosophy of religion. Given the occasion that we are in Italy, this course will focus on Italian philosophers from the Renaissance through the 20th century: Petrarch, Ficino, Bruno, Campanella, Vico, Croce, and Vattimo. Course material (English translations) will be provided as digital files. We will also see some historic sites of Italian philosophy in Rome.
Instructor: Dr. Richard Blum
Books
General Ethics
Values and obligation, moral judgments in social context, the application of general guidelines to particular situations, and the search for a moral life: those of the basic questions of ethics. We will read excerpts from some of the classics of ethics: Plato, Aristotle, Hume, Kant, Mill, but also some of the major Renaissance philosophers, who shaped the modern perception of morality and individuality: Petrarch, Valla, Pico. Course material (English translations) will be provided as digital files. We will also see some historic sites of Italian philosophy in Rome.
Instructor: Dr. Richard Blum
Books
Christian Rome: Understanding Jesus Christ in Rome
The past two thousand years of Roman history is marked by Christianity.
Indeed, for much of this time, and still today for Roman Catholics, Rome was
and is the premier Christian city, rivaling the Holy Land as a place of
pilgrimage, prayer, and encounter with Jesus Christ. The course will study
this aspect of Rome by examining the Christian understanding of Jesus, his
life, death, resurrection, his continued presence in the Church, and his
influence on Christians throughout time. It will use the places, the
architecture, and the belief in Jesus as the Christ and Son of God.
Instructor: Dr. David Dawson Vasquez
Books
Italian Language
Italiaidea
Each student will take at least two intensive Italian language courses at
Italiaidea. The courses consist of three hours per day, made of 60 minutes each,
from Monday through Friday, for a total of 4 weeks, in groups of maximum 10
students. The courses are taken consecutively. Italiaidea is one of Italy's most
outstanding Italian language schools. It is located in the heart of Rome near
Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain. In addition to lively and engaging language
and culture courses, Italiaidea offers students an intimate study environment as
well as a high degree of professionalism and flexibility.
Website
Class attendance policy
Students are expected to attend every class. Since each class meeting is the equivalent of
one week's worth of class, missing more than one class will be detrimental to the final grade.
The detailed policy can be found here