10:10A-12:00P     T     BH141

Topic: Mysticism and Enthusiasm in Early Modern Europe
Above section limited to Freshmen, Sophomores and Juniors
Above section COAS intensive writing section and requires
Registration in COAS W333

In this course, we'll look at the mystical tradition in one of its
most important periods, the one extending from the late middle Ages to
end of the 1600s. During this time, Europe saw tremendous religious
and social transformations, which energized people to imagine new ways
of experiencing and worshiping God. Expectations of the apocalypse,
miraculous healings, prophecies: all were commonplace in the religious
landscape of Early Modern Europe. The course will focus on major
episodes of mystical thought, starting with the Joachim of Fiore,
covering both Protestant and Catholic mystics alike, and ending with
the Jewish mystic and prophet Sabbetai Zevi. On the way, we'll be
reading much primary literature, as well as background materials, in
order to understand how mysticism impacted the established churches,
how it inspired political action, and how it offered a new vision of
God at the threshold of the modern world.