1. Write a three and a half to four page essay explaining in your own words your understanding of Boethius’ responses to the theological problem of Theomdicy, the question of how to reconcile the existance of an all powerful, all good God and the continuing esistance of evil, or pur another way, how to reconcile the existance of an all powerful, all good God and the reality of a world in which all too often bad things happen to good people while good things happen to bad people.
2. Write a three and a half to four page essay in which you explain in your own words Anselm’s ontological agument for the existance of God. Add to this your own accessment of the validity of Anselm’s argument, and justify your accessment.
Weekly Academic essays:Beginning with the second week (February 14) a short academic essay reflecting upon the assignments is due on Canvas prior to the beginning of each weekly class. The purpose is to assure that you and your fellow students will come prepared to actively participate in the class. Appropriate to include in the essays are:
6• How do the readings assigned for this week fit in with the course overall? How do they relate to material already covered?
• Did something confirm what you already knew, believed, or suspected? What was the source of the information you brought to the material? How do the readings relate to your own life experience and background?
”””””””””• Was anything surprising to you? Why?
• Was anything completely new to you? Does this build on what you already knew, or does it challenge strongly held beliefs? Does it make a difference? Why?
• What questions did the readings raise for you that you would like to see discussed in class? Can you propose some possible answers to your questions based on what you already know? In the Essays, students will properly reference the reading materials and sources using proper APA citations.
REQUIRED READINGSMedieval Europe: A Short History. Judith M. Bennett and Sandy Bardsley. Oxford University Press. 12th ed. 2021. ISBN 978-0-19-006461-7.Medieval Christianity: A New History. Kevin Madigan. Yale University Press. 2015. ISBN 978-0-300-21677-6.Aristotle’s Children: How Christians, Muslims, and Jews Rediscovered Ancient Wisdom and Illuminated the Dark Ages. Richard E. Rubenstein. Harcourt. 2003. 978-0-15-100720-2.Magic in the Middle Ages. Richard Kieckhefer. 2d ed. Canto Classics. Cambridge University Press. 2014. 078-1-107-43182-9.
