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Posts Tagged ‘the middle ages’

Saturday Lecture Series: The Middle Ages

by coldwarrior ( 90 Comments › )
Filed under Academia, Open thread, saturday lecture series at January 15th, 2011 - 8:30 am

Today we continue with Prof Weber’s series “The Western Tradition”

19. The Middle Ages
Amid invasion and civil disorder, a military aristocracy dominated the kingdoms of Europe.

Follow this Link to the lecture.

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Also: This blog has many people with a very divergent set of expertise and knowledge. Therefore, I am opening this slot for guest ‘lectures’ for anyone who submits a well written, fully cited, submission on a topic that is normally not covered on the blog. The submission can be on a topic that is covered but it will have to be very in  depth and go into new detail that would greatly increase the understanding of the subject at hand. Submissions may be made to the blog’s email address with the subject line ‘Saturday Lecture Series’. I reserve the right to edit, approve, and publish at my discretion.  So, who is up for the challenge?

Saturday Lecture Series: The Dark Ages

by coldwarrior ( 39 Comments › )
Filed under Academia, History, Open thread, saturday lecture series at December 11th, 2010 - 8:30 am

Today we return to Prof Eugen Weber’s course, ‘The Western Tradition’.  Today he discusses: The Dark Ages .

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Please follow this link out to 17 The Dark Ages

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The Barbarian kingdoms took possession of the fragments of the Roman Empire. As the Barbarians became Christianized, the Christian Church is influenced by them, the legends of ‘supernatural power’ of the saints is on the rise as patron while the leaders of the church become violent and unjust at times, and conversion is done by a new power that impressed and subdued the barbarians.

The ruling classes are gradually changed and succession to power is stabilized by the church’s decrees. The church offers an escape from the ‘doomed world’ to those that are baptized and follow.  Monasteries and Convents start as a refuge, and mature during this period.  They then spread the word, educate, convert, and transcribe, and write. The Monasteries are an interesting counterpoint to society in general.