Tuesday April 10 2018 10 am to 12 noon
Nothing
gives us a better idea of medieval life than Geoffrey Chaucer’s The
Canterbury Tales. Written in the late fourteenth century in the
vernacular, it gives us an idea of the vast spectrum of people that made
up the different classes within society. The poem describes the
knightly class, the clergy, and those who worked for a living, thus
describing the different classes as well. Chaucer gives us a
cross-section of fourteenth century society by giving us the small
details of people’s clothing, demeanour and professions; therefore
giving us information on the lower and middle classes, not discussed in
literature before.
Geoffrey Chaucer survived The Black Death’s peak at around age six, where twenty per cent of England’s population died.
The
Canterbury Tales was one of the first works of literature actually
written in English. Since society was ruled by the Church and the Church
exercised in Latin, most of what was written by authors before the
fourteenth century was in Latin or in the other major languages in
Europe: Italian or French. English was seen as vulgar and only for the
lower classes as it was these classes who would not be able to read or
write in any other languages because that would mean they had the money
to be educated. Chaucer made English literature more acceptable by
writing The Canterbury Tales. It also brings light in the evolution of
our language and how people of the Late Middle Ages pronounced the
words.
Chaucer
constructed the prologue in such a way that it gives a panoramic view
of fourteenth century society. It allows us to see the lower classes of
this time that would otherwise be unknown. The elite (those who would
write in the educated languages of Latin and French) could only describe
their own upper class. However, here it can be learned of what people
wore, the different styles, qualities and colours.
Imagine
a writer who is equally at home with romantic adventure and devotional
meditation, or who brings the fullest measure of brilliance to ribald
comedy and grave tragedy alike. Add a talent for creating unforgettable
characters and keenly painting social relationships. Top it all off with
a gift for expression so pure and scintillating that no less an
authority than Edmund Spenser was moved to laud this writer's works as a
"well of English pure and undefiled.
Now
you have Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1340-1400), one of our grandest and most
enduring poets; an architect of our vocabulary and our literary style.
By
examining texts from his short love lyrics to the copious profusion of
character and incident that is The Canterbury Tales, this course
prepares you for the challenges of Chaucer's oeuvre, and provides an
understanding of what makes him the "founder" of English literature and
language.
This is a thirteen week course and cost £65. For more details ring 07592330467 or email squabs@hotmail.co.uk.
How Jesus became God Thursday April 12 th 2018 10 am
The
early Christian claim that Jesus of Nazareth was God completely changed
the course of Western civilization. What exactly happened, such that
Jesus came to be considered God? To ask this question is to delve into a
fascinating, multi-layered historical puzzle - one that offers a richly
illuminating look into the origins of the Western worldview and the
theological underpinnings of our civilization. This fundamental
historical question and its complex answer speak penetratingly to the
spiritual impulses, concerns, and beliefs that have played a seminal
role in our world, even as they reveal the foundation of history's most
global religious movement, and fresh insights into the Western world's
single most influential human being. Tackling all of these matters and
more, we will take you deeper into the process by which the divinity of
Jesus was first conceived by his followers, demonstrating how this
conception was refined over time to become the core of the Christian
ideas reveals that the theological understanding of Jesus as God came
about through a complex series of factors and events, each of which must
be understood in order to grasp this most extraordinary and
historically pivotal story. In the enthralling inquiry of “How Jesus
Became God” we will examine how the diverse elements that combined to
produce both an astonishing true-life story and one of history's most
significant developments
This is a 13 week course and costs £65. For more information ring 07592330467 or email squabs@hotmail.co.uk
Philosophy of the Renaissance and Enlightenment Wednesday April 11 2018 10 am
Renaissance World View versus the Enlightenment World View
Both
the Renaissance and the Enlightenment are two significant points in
world history, specifically in European history. Both periods have
distinctive characteristics but share the notion of being periods of
discovery in many aspects of life and living in this world.
Each
period has its own world view, which is basically a framework of ideas
and beliefs through which people interpret the world.
The
Renaissance occurred during the 14–16th centuries. This period gave
significant contributions to many disciplines, mostly in the arts like
music, visual painting, architecture, poetry, drama, as well as
philosophy and astronomy. There was an increase of thought and
production in terms of the arts, culture, and the intellectual domain.
There were also innovations in non-artistic fields like finance,
politics, and technology.
The
period was mostly centered on art, ancient wisdom, and religion. In
addition, the period gave rise to the general movement towards freedom
of thought and religion. The world view of the Renaissance was the
humanistic world view with an emphasis on the power and capacity of the
human being. There was also an aspect of valuing humanity, literacy, and
education which became powerful tools for discovery and understanding
of the world
On
the other hand, the next succeeding period, the Enlightenment, also
produced a slightly different world view. In the Renaissance, the seed
of discovery and knowledge was the appreciation for reason and logic.
These two disciplines bloomed in the period of the Enlightenment as well
as industrialization.
The
Enlightenment, (17–18th centuries) science, mathematics, and technology
were the core of human interest and activity. To prove this point, all
other disciplines and subjects like religion, art, and history were
subject to rational scrutiny. There was also a focus on social sciences
and the attempt to apply rational thought and order to society and all
its extensions.
While
the Renaissance was on the artistic side of human life, the
Enlightenment focused on the human intellectual side. The Enlightenment
world view contributed a great deal to today’s modern world.
This is a thirteen week course that costs £65. For more information ring 07592330467 or email squabs@hotmail.co.uk
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