Christianity in 50 Objects

Catalog description

Taught by JST. This survey course will examine the history of the Christian Church from the Apostolic Age to today through a close reading of 50 objects, inspired by the BBC and British Museum's recent collaboration, 'A History of the World in 100 Objects'. Prompted by the increasing scholarly interest in the art and material culture(s) of religion across a number of academic disciplines (including religious studies, history, literature, and anthropology) a select corpus of monuments, spaces, sculptures, pictures, liturgical art, and other objects will serve as a framework for discussion. Students will be evaluated through final research papers on an original topic of their choice (70% of final grade), class participation (10% of final grade), and an oral presentation (20% of final grade). Intended audience: any interested graduate student.