Retrospective Essay

Length: c. 3-4 (printed) pages

Due: in my mailbox (second floor of FPH) by 3:30 p.m., Friday, 13December

Task:

Earlier in the term, you took stock of what you had learned. Now is the time to complete that process. As you know, the course was intended to introduce you to both the study of history in general and the history of the early modern era, in particular; and further, to help you develop your skills in the areas of reading and analytical writing.

How have your ideas about history and the historical method evolved this semester? Consider in particular your understanding of the history of communication through writing and print. (Think, for example, about such issues as authorship, the way that Renaissance men and women interpreted texts, and so forth). Formulate your response to the latter question with explicit reference to the three following texts:

• "There are many Antichrists who on account of the assembling of the peasants, cast scorn upon the gospel, and say: Is this the fruit of the new teaching, that no one obeys but all everywhere rise in revolt, and band together to reform, extinguish, indeed kill the temporal and spiritual authorities. The following articles will answer these godless and blaspheming fault-finders. They will first of all remove the reproach from the word of God and secondly give a Christian excuse for the disobedience or even the revolt of the entire peasantry . . . . Therefore, Christian reader, read the following articles with care, and then judge."

(from "The Twelve Articles of the peasants," in Hillerbrand, ed., The Protestant Reformation, p. 64)

• "You know, Sadoleto, and if you venture to deny, I will make it palpable to all that you know, yet cunningly and craftily disguised the fact, not only that our agreement with antiquity is far closer than yours, but that all we have attempted has been to renew that ancient form of the church, which, at first sullied and distorted by illiterate men of indifferent character, was afterward flagitiously mangled and almost destroyed by the Roman pontiff and his faction."

(from Calvin's "Reply to Sadoleto," in Hillerbrand, ed., p. 158)

• "Thirdly, I base my opinion on the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for God himself planted this tree in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:9). Therefore, it may not be uprooted by any man, an act expressly forbidden by God in Deuteronomy 20:19
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"And so says Aristotle in his book, Elenchoi, that the knowledge of evil is not evil, but rather good and righteous.
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[54] "... we may conclude that it is permissible to read and study good and evil side by side: the evil, so as to effectively combat it with reason; and the good, strewn among the evil like roses among thorns, to be extracted for the sake of our Holy Teachings."

(Johannes Reuchlin, Recommendation Whether to Confiscate, Destroy and Burn All Jewish Books, pp., 53, 54)

This is a simple assignment that (if you have kept up with the work this semester) ought to take up at most a few hours. You should be able to complete it between the end of our last class and the end of the week on Friday.

NOTE: review the "Final Instructions" before you turn in your work.