Questions

How does Robert the Monk justify the First Crusade? To what extent does this represent a departure from Christian thinking that we’ve seen in earlier sources (e.g. The Martyrdoms of Perpetua and Felicity, Gregory the Greats Instructions to the Missionaries, the Conversion of Clovis)?
Week 11 Journal Questions Rule of Francis: What are the virtues that Francis is promoting, and how is he trying to do so? Week 12 Journal Questions Boccaccio: How did the Black Death affect society? Who tried to avoid the Black Death, and how did they do this? Did the plague affect European attitudes toward dying?
Petrarch: How does Petrarch frame his argument about the papacy?
Week 13 Journal Questions Catherine of Siena: What themes do you see running through the letters? Catherine was one of the most powerful women in 14th century Europe. What were the sources of her power? “Gentile Tales”: What motivated the false accusations against the Jews? Week 14 Journal Questions What is genius according to Vasari? How does Michelangelo demonstrate genius? Do you think Vasari was a humanist? Why or why not? What is Machiavelli’s opinion of Lorenzo de’ Medici?
Week 15 Reading Questions Why are these documents important? What were the implications of these two documents for the future of a united Christendom? What do you think is the most revolutionary thesis of Luther’s 95 theses? How does the pope react to Luther’s criticisms?