Abstract This paper discusses the relations between the sexes, both within and outside the Church in the 12thCentury. It uses the example of Pierre Abelard's writings to Heloise, to qualify points made.
From the Paper "Most students of medieval history or theology know the story of Pierre Peter Abelard, a famous theologian and philosopher whose views got him denounced as a heretic in the 12th century. However it is not as a philosopher that he is best remembered, but his popular fame resulted from his tragic love affair with Heloise exchanging famous letters of love and suffering ..."
Tags: Abelard, Heloise, morals, status of women, Church elite, forgeries
Abstract This paper evaluates an article called, "Did the 20th Century Discover the Individual" about the medieval mind-set. It explores the author's argument against scholars who locate the concept of the 'discovery of the individual' in the 12thCentury, in favor of what she views as the more precise 'discovery of self.'
From the Paper "The principal argument of Bynum in "Did the Twelfth Century Discover the Individual" is that some modern historians of the medieval period have claimed too much for evidence that the clerics of the period who expressed a strong sense of the self were ..."
Tags: Medieval, period, Religious, experience, 12th, century
Abstract A comparison of the theme and principles of Christianity in the 12thcentury poem and Biblical texts.
From the Paper "This research will compare and contrast the theme of Christianity in The Song of Roland and in selected New Testament books. Discussed will be the pattern of Christian ideas and the means by which those ideas overlap and converge or diverge in the medieval poem and the Biblical texts.
By the time the epic The Song of Roland appeared in France in the 12th century, the figure of Roland as a legendary 8th-century hero and member of the court of Charlemagne had been well established. Equally, Charlemagne had been positioned in history as a champion of the Roman Church in Europe. Charlemagne's biographer Einhard, a member of the court, developed the king's biography in a way that would legitimate, rationalize--perhaps excuse--the behavior of Charlemagne as a conquering hero. It is Einhard's stated intent to immortalize a king by declaring moral weigh..."
From the Paper "This study will discuss the importance of towns in Europe in the 12th Century.
Generally, the emergence of developing towns in the 12th Century brought about a strengthening of the economy and the social structure. Commerce increased rapidly as a result, and "closely related causally to this increase in trade was a revival of specialized craftsmanship and the development of towns".
The development of towns, then, played a major role in a general revival of trade throughout Western Europe, and in the reemergence of an economy based on money.
Up until the time when towns began to develop and affect the course of the economy in Europe, trade had been stifled due to unstable routes dominated by warring factions, and by the simple ... "
Abstract This paper discusses how the "great quarrel" between King Henry II of England and Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, represents the most famous and well-documented church-state dispute in medieval England and how reasons for such eminence lie in its bloody and tragic end rather than in the quarrel itself. It contextualises the relationship between the medieval church and state by examining the nature of monarchial power and the religious dynamic of 12thcentury England. It examines the reasons for the dispute, the contemporary reaction to it and the repercussions.
From the Paper "Before Beckets accession to Archbishop he enjoyed a great friendship with Henry. Becket's appointment thus came as a result of this acquaintance, rather than his ecclesiastical background. Indeed Beckets only clerical position ? the Archdeaconry of Canterbury was of secular rather than ecclesiastical character. Furthermore, the reputation of Archdeacon's in the twelfth century was far from sound ? ?"they were given to extortion and injustice"? and Becket was reprimanded on more than one occasion . Conscious of the kings favouritism, combined with the thoroughness he attached to his jobs, it is possible that Becket set out to prove his ecclesiastical worth, having already proven his secular pedigree."
Abstract The image, in bronze, of the standing Buddha Nagapattinam from the 12thcentury belies some of the common popular assumptions about Buddhist iconography that a contemporary Westerner might hold if he or she was unfamiliar with the history of the Buddhist tradition of images in Asiatic art. This paper discusses the Nagapattinam, which depicts not the enlightened Buddha, but a teaching Buddha marked for enlightenment. It examines the philosophy behind the creation of Buddha in this particular image and presents a description of the physical features of this statue.
From the Paper "According to the scholar Jin Weinu, all "Buddhist images" however, regardless of origin, usually ?display the thirty-two lakshanas and eighty notable physical characteristics of the Buddha,? as does the 12th century Bronze Nagapattinam statue noted specifically above, at the beginning of this essay. These thirty-two characteristic physical markers indicate that the figure, over the course of its life, sought to ?seek dignity, a singular superb ness, in order to embody all excellences and good fortune and virtue,? over the course of the Buddha's specific life phase, or this specific Buddhist incarnation over the course of his many lives, even though the image might be of a pre-Enlightened part of the Buddha's biography. (Weinu, 1999)"
Abstract According to 12thcentury theologist, Hildegard, women were humans, certainly, but they were a sad and inferior brand of human compared to man, and it was their sad lot in life to suffer the consequences of the "Original Sin." In this paper, a thorough discussion of the interpretive essay, "Hildegard of Bingen: On Natural Philosophy and Medicine," is made and presented, along with the author's interpretation of the research. A summary of the research is provided in the conclusion.
From the Paper "Two concepts become abundantly clear after reading Hildegard's visions about natural philosophy and medicine: The first is that here we have one of the great women in history, a woman capable of organizing and capably administering a monastic complex for a large number of people, as well as orchestrating a means by which she could join the community of theologians who were permitted to write about what was important to them in the 12th century. The second concept is just how bad women had it in the Latin West during this period of history. The women's rights movement was not even a twinkle in anyone's eye yet, but Hildegard of Bingen managed to make a name for herself during a period in history in which the vast majority of women were consigned to dreary, short lives characterized by hard work, disease and hunger."
Abstract This paper examines how Tanchelm preached in the Low Countries for five years before his death c1115 and how he was branded a heretic in the 12thcentury by the Utrecht clergy. It looks at how he was an itinerant preacher who wanted to further Gregorian reforms, how he was considered a threat to the clergy because he rejected the old established order, and how Tanchelm not only posed a threat to the clergy, but to secular authorities in the region as well.
From the Paper "Tanchelm was disliked by the Utrecht's clergy because of his actions during the years 1112-1113 when he travelled to Rome to persuade pope Paschal II to transfer the maratime regions, (a quarter) of the Utrecht diocese, to the episcopate of Therouanne of the Kingdom of France under Louis VI. Louis initiated this move in order to weaken the clergy of Utrecht, who were partisans of the emporer Henry VI against France and the papacy. There was a new concern for the social implications of the gospel and a desire for more radical changes in the clergy and the relations between the church and lay society, coupled with stressing the apostolic ideal. This feature of 12th century heresies represented a reaction against the wealthy Church and a developing bourgeoisie during a time of rapid economic growth . "
Abstract The paper provides an overview of Romanesque architecture during the 11th and 12thcenturies, followed by a discussion of some examples of the architectural style. The paper includes pictures of structures in this style.
Outline:
Introduction
Review and Discussion
Conclusion
From the Paper "The term Romanesque architecture applies to the various stages of European architecture that were influenced by both Carolingian architecture and the diffusion of Latin civilization following the break-up of the Roman Empire up to the end of the 12th century. While there has been a modest resurgence in interest in Romanesque architectural style in the West, the term continues to conjure up mistaken perceptions about precisely what Romanesque architecture is and what precise architectural elements serve to define its style."
Abstract A study of the Chartres Cathedral in France which creates a ideal depiction of the gothic form of architecture and is shown in reference to the same.
Abstract The paper is on the history and design of St. Etienne Cathedral in Bourges, France, which is a good example of gothic church architecture. The constuction of the cathedral is examined and the paper discusses typical French Gothic style.
From the Paper "St. Etienne Cathedral in Bourges, France is a good example of gothic church architecture. This edifice, along with Cathedral Chartres, is the first cathedral of the high-Gothic era and was the starting point for the typical French Gothic style. Construction on the cathedral began in 1195, and the choir was completed in 1214, the nave between 1225-1250, and the west facade sometime in the 1270's. The north tower fell in 1505 and was rebuilt in 1542 ("Cathedral, Bourges No. 1" paras. 1-2). The plan of the cathedral is simple and was derived from the plan for Notre-Dame de Paris. At least, the exterior is so derived, while the interior is quite different from that more famous cathedral. The basic structure involves double-sided aisles, and it is double ambulatory and has no transept. The volume of the nave is the same as the cathedral at Chartres, with a width of 15 meters and a height of 37.."
Abstract This paper examines Raymond Carver's short story "Cathedral" and focuses on the function of the narrator and of the blind man. It analyzes the narrator's realization of his own emotional and intellectual blindness.
From the Paper "Raymond Carver's short story Cathedral is narrated by a man who finds it all but impossible to be in the presence of Robert, a blind friend of his wife's. This unnamed narrator, a man in middle life married to a woman who has ..."
Abstract In this paper, the author compares how the theme of love is represented in two stories, "Cathedral" by Raymond Carver, and "Shiloh" by Bobbie Ann Mason. One story describes how love builds between two spouses while the other shows how love can fall apart. The author cites additional sources to describe the theme in the two works. The paper concludes by stating that both stories show the incredible epiphanies associated with love, and the destructive force of emotional pain.
From the Paper "In his article in "eThoughts.com," Travis Gibbs asks the question, "Is love some absolute, a fact of the universe that can be discovered and copied onto and into human lives? (Gibbs). The two stories, "Cathedral" by Raymond Carver, and "Shiloh" by Bobbie Ann Mason, illustrate that love is constructed in dissimilar ways. Carver constructs love as a positive manifestation of growth and understanding in an unlikely setting, while Mason shows us love destroys itself, as manifested between two people who fit into a normal "construct," that is, being man and wife."
Tags:Cathedral, Raymond, Carver, Shiloh, Bobbie, Ann, Mason, love, literary, themes
An examination of the transformation of the concept of the absolute, deity, God from the early Vedic period to the period of Vedanta philosophy of the 12 century CE.
Abstract This paper provides a discussion concerning the transformation of the concept of the Absolute, Deity, God from the early Vedic period to the period of Vedanta philosophy of Madva in the 12thcentury CE. An examination of how the changing concepts of deity relate to the changing religious life of the people is followed by a summary of the research in the conclusion.
From the Paper "The Early Vedic was the period of transition from nomadic pastoralism to settled village communities intermixing pastoral and agrarian economies. The Vedas are the earliest sacred literature of India. Composed in archaic, or Vedic, Sanskrit, they generally are dated between 1500 and 800 BCE; these Vedas were originally transmitted orally. According to Isherwood (1970), the Hindus consider the Vedas as being divine truth - truth known by men through experience of union with the divine in man; however, the Hindu attitude towards these sacred works is fundamentally different than that of the devotees of other religions towards their sacred texts: "The Hindus do not demand that the Vedas shall be approached in a spirit of uncritical faith. On the contrary, they insist that each individual must verify the truths taught by the Vedas through his own effort and practice, in his own life" (1970, p. 2930)."
Abstract Modern European / Western education finds in its current form, roots that stretch back to Socrates and further to the earliest forms of oral histories and story-telling. The western model of education is based almost exclusively upon lecture, experience and review, is graduated in complexity and content over time, and covers, in general, approximately 12 years of a student's life. The content of lessons, regardless of context and subject, generally follow a specific structure with a philosophy of development that finds its origins in Locke, Rousseau, and Pasteur. During the 19th century, on the heels of the Age of Enlightenment and through the Romantic Era, education underwent fundamental changes. Many different factors influenced the form and content of that education, most significantly, perhaps, being that of nationalizing and standardizing the educational system. It is the purpose of this paper to examine the history of educational systems during the 19th century Europe, differences in gender-involvement, the influence of Napoleon, Locke, Rousseau, Pasteur and other thinkers from the Enlightenment and Romantic periods, all with the intent of demonstrating how our modern model of education has been shaped and determined by these factors.
