Rome
home
Previous Courses
Academics • Calendar • Life in Rome • Preparations • Rome Info • Pics • Contacts
Fall 2008
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
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
Modern Philosophy: The Conception of the Human after the Scientific Revolution
The course will offer an examination of some of the central figures and questions
of modern European philosophy. Focusing mainly on the epistemological positions of these
thinkers, the course will also include an analysis of their metaphysical and ethical positions
and the location of their thought within cultural, religious, and scientific contexts.
Areas to be covered will include the continental rationalists (Descartes, Spinoza, and
Leibniz), the British empiricists (Berkeley, Locke, Hume), the German idealists (Kant, Hegel,
Marx), with a look toward how contemporary thought will be influenced (Nietzsche).
Issues to be explored will include the possibility and character of knowledge and scientific
explanation, the nature of the human mind and personal identity, and the possibility of a
philosophical understanding of God and the self.
Instructor: Prof. Susan Dawson Vásquez
Spirit of (Dis)Placement: Italy as Canvas and Mirror in Modernist Literature
Italy has been the subject of the literary and visual art of foreigners for centuries.
A key outcome of the study of literature is that the reader gains a deeper understanding
of the self through the attempt to understand the motivations and actions of literary
characters. Such insight into the self as a result of examination of the other is one
of the key outcomes of study abroad learning experiences as well: as the student traveler
attempts to understand the host culture, she invariably confronts new aspects of herself.
Italy has been the subject of the literary and visual art of foreigners for centuries.
A key outcome of the study of literature is that the reader gains a deeper understanding
of the self through the attempt to understand the motivations and actions of literary
characters. Such insight into the self as a result of examination of the other is one of
the key outcomes of study abroad learning experiences as well: as the student traveler
attempts to understand the host culture, she invariably confronts new aspects of herself.
Instructor: Dr. Susan McGury, DePaul University
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
Spring 2008
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
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
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
Happiness and Beauty: Ethics and the Human Life
The course will provide a
general introduction to ethical thinking from a philosophical perspective by
examining how the great thinkers of the western tradition have understood
the goal of human existence and the means for human fulfillment, considering
both classical and contemporary theories of moral conduct. Through reading
and critically considering selections from Plato, Aristotle, Augustine,
Aquinas, and several modern writers, students will come to see the
philosophical thought about the ideal human being that inspired much of
western civilization and especially the art and architecture of Rome.
Instructor: Dr. David Dawson Vasquez
Medieval Philosophy
This course will focus on the development of Philosophy in the Middle Ages, particulary the reception of Platonic and Aristotelian philosophy within Jewish, Christian and Muslim philosophies. Special attention will be paid to the philosophers Moses Maimonides, Al-Ghazali and Thomas Aquinas.
Instructor: Dr. Frederick Bauerschmidt, Loyola College in Maryland
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
Fall 2007
Genius Loci: Roman Archetypes of Place in Visual Culture
This course will offer a
thematic art history/studio experience concerned with the role that the
architecture and art of Rome has played in shaping our understanding of
place as expressed in visual culture. The unique circumstance of urban Rome,
where 2500 years of building activity are embedded in the fabric of
contemporary life, offers an opportunity to involve students in an
interdisciplinary examination of how human needs and desires shape our built
environment and are shaped by it. Students are not required to have had
prior studio art experience to participate in this course. For DePaul students, ART 295 is
approved for Liberal Studies Arts and Literature domain credit.
Instructor: Brian Sikes, DePaul University
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 Vásquez
Roman History
This course provides an introduction to the political,
social, economic, and cultural history of Rome and its empire. Using literary,
historical, and archaeological methodologies, students will examine the history
of Rome from its mythical foundation by Romulus in 753 BC to the reign of the
Emperor Constantine the Great in the early 4th century AD. Readings,
discussions, and essays will help students gain proficiency in the details of
Roman history. Site visits to museums and archaeological sites in the city of
Rome will help bring Roman history to life and will aid students in
understanding topics such as Roman national myth, government and politics in the
Republican period, the expansion of the Roman Empire, Roman daily life, and the
achievements of Roman art and literature.
Instructor: Dr. Laura Flusche
Happiness and Beauty: Ethics and the Human Life
The course will provide a
general introduction to ethical thinking from a philosophical perspective by
examining how the great thinkers of the western tradition have understood
the goal of human existence and the means for human fulfillment, considering
both classical and contemporary theories of moral conduct. Through reading
and critically considering selections from Plato, Aristotle, Augustine,
Aquinas, and several modern writers, students will come to see the
philosophical thought about the ideal human being that inspired much of
western civilization and especially the art and architecture of Rome.
Instructor: Dr. David Dawson Vásquez
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
Spring 2007
The Myth of Childhood in Italian Cinema
The goal of this course is to familiarize students with the important theme
of childhood in Italian Cinema. In fact, this topic is very frequented by
Italian film makers, as the child’s point of view is present in many trends and
periods of Italian cinema which often utilizes literary texts as its point of
departure to develop new perspectives on childhood and Italian society in its
transformations. In this course, students will be offered a unique chance of
analyzing the theme of childhood in mainly two periods of Italian cinema. One,
the famous period dubbed as Neo-realism, will make up the first part of the
semester. We will analyze films by Vittorio De Sica, Luchino Visconti, and
Roberto Rossellini. Films from postmodern cinema will constitute the second and
final part of the semester. In this part, we will screen films by Gianni Amelio,
Oscar winner Gabriele Salvadores, and Cristina Comencini.
Instructor: Dr. Stefania Lucamante, The Catholic University of America
Desiring Italy: Italian and American Women Writers
Instructor: Dr. Stefania Lucamante, The Catholic University of America
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 Vásquez
Roman History
This course provides an introduction to the political,
social, economic, and cultural history of Rome and its empire. Using literary,
historical, and archaeological methodologies, students will examine the history
of Rome from its mythical foundation by Romulus in 753 BC to the reign of the
Emperor Constantine the Great in the early 4th century AD. Readings,
discussions, and essays will help students gain proficiency in the details of
Roman history. Site visits to museums and archaeological sites in the city of
Rome will help bring Roman history to life and will aid students in
understanding topics such as Roman national myth, government and politics in the
Republican period, the expansion of the Roman Empire, Roman daily life, and the
achievements of Roman art and literature.
Instructor: Dr. Laura Flusche
Philosophy of God
Western philosophers have thought and written much about the nature and
existence of God. They raise questions about the nature of God, the
relationship of reason to God, the meaning of the word “God” in the face of
the evil in the world, and the relationship of God with other aspects of
metaphysics. The present course will discuss these various approaches
throughout the tradition, beginning with the differing perspectives of Plato
and Aristotle, and continuing through medieval and early modern thinkers. It
will conclude with an exploration of how today’s contemporary philosophers
account for God in their thought.
Instructor: Dr. David Dawson Vásquez
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
Fall 2006
The Sun in the Church: Solar Observations from Rome to the Renaissance
(Scientific Inquiry: Lab OR Quantitative)
Students in this course, taught by Dr. LeClair, will learn about the sun and its
relation to Rome and the Church. First, participants will learn the history and
practice of ancient solar astronomy, telling time in ways familiar to the Greeks
and Romans. Students will build and calibrate their own sundials, observe and
measure solar phenomena, and make astronomical predictions for Rome and other
locations worldwide. Next, participants will learn how Catholic history and
solar astronomy have been intertwined for 600 years in scheduling the major
Christian feast days, specifically Easter. From the 15th to the 18th century,
large solar dials called meridiana were made for this purpose and installed in
cathedrals. Students will observe at one of the longest cathedral meridians in
the world, reliving the era when Vatican astronomers used this “hot technology”
to set the date and time for the faithful. Finally, students will explore the
impact of astronomy on the geocentric-heliocentric debates of the 16th and 17th
centuries, as reflected in the writings of two Italian contemporaries Giordano
Bruno and Galileo Galilei. Participants will replicate Galileo’s observations
and calculations on sunspots, and visit historic sites relevant to the lives of
these individuals.
Instructor: Dr. Elizabeth Leclair, DePaul University
Text and the City: Reading Rome
What is the allure of Rome? Centuries of travel to Rome by English and American
authors has produced volumes of writing about the city called Eternal. But what
has compelled so many people to write about Rome? How can the writings of these
“other than Romans” help us to understand the city? What relationship does their
experience in Rome have to our own? This course explores both text and the city
of Rome. Readings will be taken authors such as John Keats, Percy Bysshe
Shelley, Lord George Gordon Byron, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Nathaniel
Hawthorne, Henry James, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Edith Wharton, as well as
other more contemporary writers about Rome like Barbara Grizzuti Harrison, Jorie
Graham, and Alan Epstein. We will read these authors with an eye to
understanding their experiences in the Eternal City - from the journey that
brought them to Italy to their explorations of archaeological ruins and from
their encounters with Romans and with the expatriate community to the desire to
die and be laid to rest in Rome. We will find that at its best, writing about
Rome is exciting and thought-provoking for it conveys both an exterior voyage to
another land and an interior voyage to self-discovery. But we will also discover
that such writing often exposes ingrained prejudices and our inability to
assimilate into a culture that is not our own. As we read, we will visit the
sites described in the literature – the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the
Capitoline Museums, and more. We will also visit the homes inhabited by some of
these writers in Rome, such as the Keats-Shelley House and the Goethe house.
Instructor: Dr. Laura Flusche
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 Vásquez
Art, Architecture, and Urbanism in Rome
This course gives students the unique opportunity to immerse themselves in
the development of the city of Rome, from the time of its legendary
foundation in 753 BC through its Baroque revitalization in the 17th and 18th
centuries. As we study the history of Rome’s urban development, our primary
means of understanding the city will be its art, architecture, and urban
development. In our study of each era - the ancient, the medieval, the
Renaissance, and the Baroque - we will strive to understand Rome’s artistic
and architectural monuments within the context in which they were created.
Thus, our study of art, architecture, and urban planning will also take us
into the realms of history, politics, economics, religion, and beyond.
Students are encouraged to consider the city a laboratory for study. Above
all, this course is meant to give you a greater understanding of Rome’s past
and present.
Instructor: Dr. Laura Flusche
Philosophy of God
Western philosophers have thought and written much about the nature and
existence of God. They raise questions about the nature of God, the
relationship of reason to God, the meaning of the word “God” in the face of
the evil in the world, and the relationship of God with other aspects of
metaphysics. The present course will discuss these various approaches
throughout the tradition, beginning with the differing perspectives of Plato
and Aristotle, and continuing through medieval and early modern thinkers. It
will conclude with an exploration of how today’s contemporary philosophers
account for God in their thought.
Instructor: Dr. David Dawson Vásquez
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
Spring 2006
Philosophical Perspectives: The Philosophy of Culture: The American Dream
What defines culture and what sorts of ways can we think about cultural
difference? The American Dream is the major Paradigm for cultural
self-definition in the United States but is it a dream or rather an
illusion? Some thinkers see it merely as an interpretation of capitalist
economic theory. In this course we will challenge the solidity, utility and
morality of the American Dream by setting it against competing paradigms.
Students should be prepared to encounter a critical look at American culture
through the eyes of some modern and contemporary critics, such as Marx,
Chomsky, Fussell, Schlosser. They will also be expected to discuss their own
experiences of the cultural differences they encounter in Italy.
Instructor: Dr. Catriona Hanley, Loyola College in Maryland
General Ethics: Relativism Absolutism and Cultural Difference
This course will be an overview of major ethical theories in the history of
philosophy, including virtue ethics, utilitarianism, and deontology. Though
readings of major philosophers -- Aristotle, Kant, Mill -- will form the
backbone of the course, these will be supplemented by short readings and
studies which confront the student with ethical dilemmas. We will be
especially concerned with cultural difference * those which American
students experience in Italy -- and cultural difference more broadly
conceived. What, if any, are the ethical implications of cultural shifts?
Instructor: Dr. Catriona Hanley, Loyola College in Maryland
Roman History
In this course we will study the history of Rome from the foundation of the city
until the death of Julius Caesar and the founding of the monarchy under
Augustus. Among the topics we’ll examine are the development of Roman national
myth, the ideals and reality of the system of republican government, the art and
archaeology of ancient Italy, and Roman expansion through Italy and then
throughout the Mediterranean world. As we will make our study in Rome, we will
devote considerable attention to the various forms evidence, not only literary,
but also material culture.
Instructor: Dr. Laura Flusche
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 art of Rome to illustrate and deepen this
understanding. Through this course, students will come to a critical
understanding of the Christian belief in Jesus as the Christ and Son of God.
Instructor: Dr. David Dawson Vásquez
Art & Archeology of Rome
This course, Rome: Archaeology, Art, and Architecture, offers students a
comprehensive introduction the urban development of Rome in the ancient
period. Our study of Rome will take place primarily on archaeological sites
and in museums. We will discuss the history of Rome's topographical
development, as well as developments in Roman architecture, sculpture, and
painting from the eighth century BC to the fourth century AD.
Instructor: Dr. Laura Flusche
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
Fall 2005
The Popes of the Renaissance
This course will highlight some of the principal popes of the Renaissance
such as Alexander VI, Julius II, Leo X and will look at papal influence on
the city of Rome (particularly in construction), papal politics,
intellectual and religious controversies (science, heresy) and the impact of
papal policy (or backlash against it) in events like the sack of Rome.
Obviously, it will look at the popes as both temporal and spiritual leaders.
Texts will include modern histories such as The Bad Popes (Vatican approved
history) and contemporary sources such as Machiavelli and Guicciardini.
Instructor: Dr. Andrew Suozzo, DePaul University
Rome: Archeology, Art, and Architecture of the Ancient City
This course, Rome: Archaeology, Art, and Architecture, offers students a
comprehensive introduction the urban development of Rome in the ancient
period. Our study of Rome will take place primarily on archaeological sites
and in museums. We will discuss the history of Rome's topographical
development, as well as developments in Roman architecture, sculpture, and
painting from the eighth century BC to the fourth century AD.
Instructor: Dr. Laura Flusche
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 art of Rome to illustrate and deepen this
understanding. Through this course, students will come to a critical
understanding of the Christian belief in Jesus as the Christ and Son of God.
Instructor: Dr. David Dawson Vásquez
Philosophy of God
Western philosophers have thought and written much about the nature and
existence of God. They raise questions about the nature of God, the
relationship of reason to God, the meaning of the word “God” in the face of
the evil in the world, and the relationship of God with other aspects of
metaphysics. The present course will discuss these various approaches
throughout the tradition, beginning with the differing perspectives of Plato
and Aristotle, and continuing through medieval and early modern thinkers. It
will conclude with an exploration of how today’s contemporary philosophers
account for God in their thought.
Instructor: Dr. David Dawson Vásquez
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
Spring 2005
Rome and Italy in the Age of Dante
This course examines the history of Rome and Italy in the Middle Ages. It is an age that produced the glittering mosaics at S. Maria in Trastevere, the powerful papal court of Innocent III, the new spirituality of Saint Francis, the vernacular poetry of Dante, and the Jubilee of 1300, each topics considered in this course through primary sources in translation, lectures, discussions, and on-site visits. The course aims to make its participants critical readers and writers of history.
Instructor: Dr. Katherine Jansen, The Catholic University of America
Introduction to Modern Philosophy
In this class we will read closely a few seminal books in the history of Modern Philosophy. We will discuss questions involving Modern approaches to the following closely inter-related issues: Nature in general and human nature in particular; human happiness; virtue; the status of reason; God; the state; science and technology. In order to appreciate the relevant contrasts, we will pause to take a very quick backwards glance at some Ancient Philosophy and Medieval Philosophy, as represented by some passages in Aristotle’s Ethics and Augustine’s Confessions. We will also spend some time focusing on technical matters involving the necessary tools for philosophy, namely logical argumentation. Time permitting, authors to be read will include: Aristotle, Augustine, Machiavelli, Descartes, Rousseau, Nietzsche, and Kierkegaard.
Instructor: Dr. Michael McShane, Loyola College in Maryland
Introduction to Ethics
The philosophical study of ethics involves a complex group of inter-related questions such as: How should a human life best be structured? What should be the goals of a successful life? How can such goals best be reached? What is goodness? What is good about goodness? What determines an ethically correct action? Such questions, in turn, imply others, such as: What is human nature? What is human reason? What relationship do humans have to God? In this class we will closely read a small number of philosophical writings that bear on these questions. Time permitting, authors to be read will include: Plato, Aristotle, Epictetus, Augustine, Mill, Kant and Nietzsche.
Instructor: Dr. Michael McShane, Loyola College in Maryland
Classical Mythology in Art and Literature
This course is intended to introduce students to the primary myths of the ancient Greeks and Romans. We’ll read ancient Greek and Roman texts (in translation) in order to gain an acquaintance with the divinities and their activities in the heavens and on earth. We’ll also discuss the functions of myths and the problems of interpreting them. In museums we’ll examine the ways that the stories of gods were recorded and transmitted on vases, in wall paintings and mosaics, and on objects from everyday life. We’ll also discuss the ways in which the gods were honored as we visit the temples and sacred precincts found on Rome’s archaeological sites.
Instructor: Dr. Laura Flusche
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 art of Rome to illustrate and deepen this
understanding. Through this course, students will come to a critical
understanding of the Christian belief in Jesus as the Christ and Son of God.
Instructor: Dr. David Dawson Vásquez
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
Fall 2004
Catholic Social Thought: Modernity and the Papacy
The Church’s violent encounter with modernity in 1870
sparked a variety of responses by Papal leadership in the succeeding decades.
Some of these responses invoked past traditions and others opened a conversation
with modernity. This course will identify select issues and pair them with the
teaching of individual Popes from Pius IX to the present. Some of the issues
are: democracy, papal infallibility, labor and unions, Americanism, syllabus of
errors, education, mixed marriage, the League of Nations, concordat with the
Italian state, racism, Communism, Nazism, Fascism, modern interpretation of
religious thought, Vatican II and its implementation.
Instructor: Dr. John Leahy, DePaul University
Classical Mythology in Art and Literature
This course is intended to introduce students to the primary myths of the
ancient Greeks and Romans. We’ll read ancient Greek and Roman texts (in
translation) in order to gain an acquaintance with the divinities and their
activities in the heavens and on earth. We’ll also discuss the functions of
myths and the problems of interpreting them. In museums we’ll examine the ways
that the stories of gods were recorded and transmitted on vases, in wall
paintings and mosaics, and on objects from everyday life. We’ll also discuss the
ways in which the gods were honored as we visit the temples and sacred precincts
found on Rome’s archaeological sites.
Instructor: Dr. Laura Flusche
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
art of Rome to illustrate and deepen this understanding. Through this course,
students will come to a critical understanding of the Christian belief in Jesus
as the Christ and Son of God.
Instructor: Dr. David Dawson Vásquez
Philosophy of God
Western philosophers have thought and written much about the nature and
existence of God. They raise questions about the nature of God, the relationship
of reason to God, the meaning of the word “God” in the face of the evil in the
world, and the relationship of God with other aspects of metaphysics. The
present course will discuss these various approaches throughout the tradition,
beginning with the differing perspectives of Plato and Aristotle, and continuing
through medieval and early modern thinkers. It will conclude with an exploration
of how today’s contemporary philosophers account for God in their thought.
Instructor: Dr. David Dawson Vásquez
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
Spring 2004
Rome as an Image of Pilgrimage
Rome has long attracted both political and religious pilgrims. From the time of
the first Christian emperor, Constantine, who built the first St. Peter’s, to
the time of the Counter-Reformation, through numerous social and political
upheavals, people of all nationalities and interests flocked to Rome. We will
read selections from historians (e.g., Ammianus Marcellinus on Constantius II’s
visit), from literary figures both positive (Petrarch’s Life of Cola di Rienzo;
Dante’s On World Government) and negative (a novella from Boccaccio’s Decameron;
Dante’s Hell), and pilgrim accounts: The Marvels of Rome, selections from
Margery Kemp’s Memoirs. We will use the history of Europe and of Italy as
background for the these readings and visits to relevant sites in Rome. These
readings and visits will serve as a basis to examine the attraction and ideals
that Rome has embodied, and continues to embody, for the traveler/pilgrim.
Instructor: Dr. Leslie Zarker Morgan, Loyola College in Maryland
Major Writers: English Literature: The Italian Renaissance in England
A study of selected works written by major English writers from the Middle Ages
and the Renaissance particularly influenced by Italian Medieval and Renaissance
authors. Included will be Chaucer (his borrowing from Petrarch and Boccaccio–
“Griselda” and “Troilus and Cresseida”), Milton (influenced by Tasso in literary
theory and the example of Jerusalem Delivered), Wyatt and Surrey (who underwent Petrarch’s lyric influence). The relation between literary language and spoken
language, the development of the vernacular for multiple literary uses, and how
Italian literary theory affected English authors will appear through the
examination of literary works. Cultural milieux, including how Italy influenced
these authors– travel to Italy, translations into English, Latin translations of
Italian– will be examined in relation to the texts.
Instructor: Dr. Leslie Zarker Morgan, Loyola College in Maryland
Introduction to Roman Archaeology
Ancient Rome + Archaeology. Both topics live large in our imagination thanks to
movies like Gladiator and fictional characters like Indiana Jones. But how did
such popular images of ancient Romans and the archaeological methods used to
investigate them come into being? What's archaeology really all about? How does
it help us learn about the ancient world? How has it shaped our image of the
Rome's ancient past? This course will examine the history of archaeology in Rome. Course sessions
will consider topics such as the way the ancient Romans though about their past,
Renaissance reactions to antiquity, the development of scientific methods in
archaeology, current practices in excavation, and the ways that the study of
Rome is presented in popular culture. No prerequistes. Reading will average 75-100 pages per week. Class sessions will
take place both in the classroom, on archaeological sites, and in museums.
Grades will be assigned on the basis of a midterm, final exam, and several small
papers.
Instructor: Dr. Laura Flusche
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 roleCand 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 Vásquez
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
Fall 2003
Genius Loci
The course offers a focused, thematic, studio/art history
experience concerned with the role that Rome has played in shaping our visual
culture. The unique characteristics of urban Rome, where 2500 years of building
activity are embedded in the fabric of contemporary life, offers an opportunity
to involve students in an interdisciplinary examination of how human needs and
desires shape our built environment and are shaped by it. Students are not
required to have had prior studio art experience to participate in this course.
Instructor: Brian Sikes, DePaul University
Rome and Italy in the Age of Dante
This course examines the history of
Rome and Italy in the Middle Ages. It is an age that produced the glittering
mosaics at S. Maria in Trastevere, the powerful papal court of Innocent III, the
new spirituality of Saint Francis, the vernacular poetry of Dante, and the
Jubilee of 1300, each topics considered in this course through primary sources
in translation, lectures, discussions, and on-site visits. The course aims to
make its participants critical readers and writers of history.
Instructor: Dr. Katherine L. Jansen, The Catholic University of America
Art & Archaeology of Rome
This course studies ancient Roman urban development from the foundation of the city
in 753 BC to the 4th century AD. In order to trace growth and development over
time, students will be introduced to and will practice a variety of
archaeological and art historical methods. These include the technical,
stylistic, and iconographic examinations of ancient architecture, sculpture, and
painting, as well as exploration of the social, political, and economic
circumstances of Rome's ancient past. Though there will be some classroom work,
most course sessions will be held on archaeological sites and in museums, so
that students can make first-hand observations about the architectural and art
historical remains of the past.
Instructor: Dr. Laura Flusche
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
art of Rome to illustrate and deepen this understanding. Through this course,
students will come to a critical understanding of the Christian belief in Jesus
as the Christ and Son of God.
Instructor: Dr. David Dawson Vásquez
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 as the role of the
bishop of Rome developed into the office it is today. They will critically
examine the interaction between the understanding and theology of the papacy,
the actual lives of the men who filled these roles (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 and commitment to the Pope as the
successor of Peter, Vicar of Christ, and Servant of the Servants of God.
Instructor: Dr. David Dawson Vásquez
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
Fall 2002
History of Rome
This course focused on the history of ancient, medieval, and early modern Rome. It will include readings of famous Romans or visitors to Rome, as well as city walks and visits to monuments, museums, archeological sites, and churches. We will discuss how and why Rome changed so much over time, and examine how the city deals today with its abundant past.
Instructor: Dr. Karen Scott, DePaul University
Ancient Art & Archeology
This course studies ancient Roman urban development from the foundation of the city
in 753 BC to the 4th century AD. In order to trace growth and development over
time, students will be introduced to and will practice a variety of
archaeological and art historical methods. These include the technical,
stylistic, and iconographic examinations of ancient architecture, sculpture, and
painting, as well as exploration of the social, political, and economic
circumstances of Rome's ancient past. Though there will be some classroom work,
most course sessions will be held on archaeological sites and in museums, so
that students can make first-hand observations about the architectural and art
historical remains of the past.
Instructor: Dr. Laura Flusche
Jesus as the Christ
Christians confess Jesus of Nazareth to be the Messiah or Christ awaited by
Israel and the Son of God made flesh. Different ages have had different ways of
expressing this understanding, both in theological discourse as well as in art,
monuments, and the lives of saints. In this course we will explore the various
ways that Christians have spoken and represented their belief in and their
devotion to Jesus. In this way we will encounter the riches of theological
reflection on Jesus, using the history, art, and architecture of the city of
Rome as a means of focusing our discussion.
Instructor: Dr. David Dawson Vásquez
The Papacy and the Unity of the Church
The course will present the historical and theological development of the role of the papacy in the
Church. The Church’s leadership quickly developed into a three-fold ministry of
bishops, priests, and deacons, with the bishops of the major cities acting as
leaders of other bishops in the same geographic region. The western Church came
to see that the bishop of Rome has a primacy of honor and jurisdiction above all
other bishops. He was and is seen as essential to the integrity of the Church’s
life and worship. We will trace the development of this understanding, comparing
the theology of the papacy with the popes’ changing historical role. The
discussion will be linked with various places in the city of Rome that were of
particular importance in this history as well as works of art that express
aspects of this development.
Instructor: Dr. David Dawson Vásquez
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