History

Examines the "mental world" of late medieval/early modern Europeans using the most recent research in the field. Introduces students to the latest studies of popular culture, mentalité, and the "new social history", as applied to Europe. Topics of interest include: the debate over popular vs. elite culture; the universe as conceived by both learned and unlearned; the differences between "popular" Christianity and official religion; the relationship between magic, religion and science; beliefs about illness, health and medicine; views of death and the afterlife; and others.