Westmont College
Europe Semester Home Page, 2002

Arts and Ideas
of the
Western Tradition
I / II

IS116E & IS117E

**Instructors**
Steve R. Pointer	Associate Academic Dean and Professor of History, Trinity College, Deerfield, IL Voice Mail: 847-317-7180 E-mail: srpointer@aol.com Web page: www.tiu.edu/people/faculty/pointer.htm
Bruce N. Fisk	Associate Professor of New Testament, Westmont Department of Religious Studies at Westmont Voice Mail: 805-565-7369 E-mail: fisk@westmont.edu Fisk's Home Page.

Description & Purposes

Texts

Procedures

Assignments & Grading

Course Description (top of page)

Surveys European thought and culture from ancient times to the present while traveling in Europe. Field work in museums, art galleries, and historical sites. Emphasizes thoughtful consideration of Christian and cultural concerns through preparatory readings, lectures, extensive discussion, and essay writing.

Course Purposes

To gain greater understanding of the development of Western civilization, and especially Western art and thought, from ancient beginnings through the twentieth century. Special emphasis will be placed on seeing the connections between the history of the visual, musical, performing, and literary arts and the broader sweep of Western history.
To engage with a diverse set of primary source materials (written texts, paintings, sculptures, musical and dramatic
performances, architecture, etc.) that reveal the richness of cultural expression within the Western tradition across lines of discipline, gender, and ethnicity.
To develop some of the skills used by scholars in order to encourage "historical" (as opposed to "unhistorical") ways of thinking. These include reading texts critically within their cultural contexts, developing a sense of chronology, discerning broad themes in the human drama, identifying the perennial questions of human experience, formulating interpretations of historical evidence, and learning how to defend those interpretations logically.
To become familiar with the principles of art so as to develop skills in critical analysis of various art forms and place them in a historical and cultural context.
To reflect on what it means to think Christianly about Western civilization. Special emphasis will be placed on understanding the dominant cultural values and world views of each age of Western history. They will be considered in the light of Christian faith: its influence and interaction with these values and world views, and how it shapes a thoughtful evaluation of them.
To encourage a lasting enjoyment of and intellectual curiosity about Western arts and ideas.

Required Texts (top of page)

Marvin Perry Western Civilization: A Brief History, 4th ed., Houghton Miflin, 2001

Marvin Perry, Joseph Peden, and Theodore Von Laue Sources of the Western Tradition, 2 vols., 4th ed., Houghton Miflin, 1999

John Walford Great Themes in Art, Prentice Hall, 2002

Course Procedures (top of page)

Two Courses
in One

Professors Pointer and Fisk will be team-teaching both courses, though Dr. Fisk will have primary responsibility for IS 116 and Dr. Pointer for IS 117. Students will receive separate grades for the two courses and should note carefully that assignments count toward both courses. IS 116 will cover Western arts and ideas from the ancient Near East to the 17th century (units #1-7) and IS 117 will cover Western arts and ideas from then to the present (units # 8-14).

Summer
Assignments

It is extremely important that students complete the mandatory summer assignments. These readings and writings will provide the historical overview and framework for all your experiences in Europe. Investing thoughtful time and effort in the summer will reward you in the fall. See below for further information and a web link.

Class Time

Class sessions in Europe will be combinations of lecture, group discussion, and student reports, with a special focus on engaging primary sources (see Purpose #2 above). Beyond the formal classroom, virtually everything we do in Europe contributes to these two courses, so be prepared to be in a learning mode outside of class as well! Of course, students are required to attend class, and to come having carefully read the assigned material and prepared to engage actively about it. Students are also required to attend all group excursions. Unexcused absence or tardiness at either class sessions or excursions will result in a grade penalty.

For a schedule of IS 116 topics and readings, go here.
For a schedule of IS 117 topics and readings, go here.

Course Assignments and Grading (top of page)

Exams 50%	A midterm exam and a final exam will be given for both IS 116 and IS 117 (total of four tests). Exams will be non-cumulative and likely include both short-answer identifications and longer essay questions. Each exam will constitute 25% of the grade of one course.
Class Performance 10%	Since faithful class attendance, evidence of careful preparation, and active participation are essential requirements for contributing to the success of these courses, 10% of the grade in each course will be determined by the student's overall performance in class.
Summer Reading and Homework 10%	During the summer, students will read through the entire texts by Perry and Walford. Based on that reading, students will prepare and submit written responses to the assigned questions. The intent is to integrate your reading of the history of Western ideas and arts, and to provide a means of thoughtful reflection upon that reading. Each unit has required reading from one or both texts and a series of 2-3 questions. Students should answer each question in a short essay of at least one paragraph, but no more than one page. E-mail submissions are strongly preferred (but in all cases should be typed) and should be in the instructor's hand by the due dates indicated. Collectively, these homework assignments will constitute 10% of the grade in each course. Click here for detailed instructions.
Gallery Guides 10%	This is an opportunity to work in small groups to do research on some particular works of art, and then to act as guides for your peers as they visit this art or site. This assignment will be worth 10% of the grade in each course. Click here for detailed instructions.
City Reports 10%	This will be another opportunity to work together in small groups to benefit the collective experience of the whole group. Each team will prepare and present a report on one of the cities we will be visiting. This report will also be worth 10% of the grade in each course. Click here for detailed instructions.
Reflective Essays 10%	To encourage thoughtful reflection upon your experiences in Europe, each student will write a series of six essays over the course of the semester on a variety of categories of cultural spaces and structures. These essays will also be worth 10% of the grade in each course. Click here for detailed instructions.

Marvin Perry	Western Civilization: A Brief History, 4th ed., Houghton Miflin, 2001
Marvin Perry, Joseph Peden, and Theodore Von Laue	Sources of the Western Tradition, 2 vols., 4th ed., Houghton Miflin, 1999
John Walford	Great Themes in Art, Prentice Hall, 2002

Arts and Ideas of the Western Tradition I / II