History 398:
Fire and Rebellion: Reformation in the Early Modern World, 1450-1650
Spring 2023 | University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Course Instructor: Dr. Lane Sunwall
Course Room: B73 Engelmann Hall
Course Meeting Time: Tues and Thurs - 8:30 - 9:45am
Office Hours: Tues 10-11a, Thurs 3-4p
Link to Tuesday Office Hours Zoom Room - password “a1” if asked
Link to Thursday Office Hours Zoom Room - password “a1” if asked
Office Location: B78A Engelmann Hall (enter via B50), and available via Zoom (see above)
Mailbox: B50 Engelmann Hall
Email: sunwall@uwm.edu
Learning Objectives
Two Primary Goals
Discover how historians train and how they do their work.
Gain skill in reading primary sources from the past contextually, empathetically, and critically, and in reading and evaluating modern scholarly writings with understanding and insight.
Be able to read defensively.
Expand the toolkit you have available to you for finding answers to questions that you have about the world by growing accustomed to using search engines, finding sources, evaluating source limitations, and taking advantage of the amazing resources available in the campus libraries, and through interlibrary loan.
Create your own unique questions from historical content, and learn how to construct strong historical arguments based on evidence and clear reasoning.
Become more confident in presenting your ideas to others, as writers and public speakers.
Grow adept at group work and at building knowledge in a collective fashion.
Grow in the virtues of curiosity, open-mindedness, and intellectual humility.
Spark and nourish your fascination with history in general and the history of the Reformation in particular.
Understand the origins of the Reformation, its major players, theologians, and thinkers.
Discover how the Reformation impacted the lives of ordinary people, its long-term effects, and how even the deep past plays a significant role in the world we inhabit today.
Learn how to think historically about the phenomenon of religion and how religious systems, identities, beliefs, and practices change over time and space.
The skills that you will practice in this course are not confined to the discipline of history; they will be useful to you regardless of where your lives take you.
Communication and Office Hours
One of my favorite aspects of teaching includes meeting with students outside of structured class time. I strongly encourage you to come to office hours any time during the semester, whether to discuss a problem or question you’ve encountered with course materials or the writing process or simply to explore an idea. I hold regular office hours, listed above. If you have a schedule conflict during those times, let me know and we can arrange another time to meet.
The best way to reach me is via email (sunwall@uwm.edu). I check email regularly and will try to respond within 24 hours. Often I can reply sooner than that, but on weekends response time may be up to 48 hours.
Academic Integrity
Plagiarism—representing the work of an AI program or somebody else as your own—is a serious violation of ethical and academic standards. You must turn in your own work and cite sources carefully, whether you repeat someone else’s exact words or paraphrase or draw on the ideas of another writer. If you have specific questions about what constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it.
Required Texts
The following books are available from the library (either directly or via interlibrary loan), and I highly recommend checking their availability. If available copies are scarce, coordinate the use of these texts amongst yourselves. These texts are likewise available from local and online bookstores.
Carlos Eire, Reformations: The Early Modern World, 1450-1650 (Yale University Press, 2016). ISBN: 978-0300111927 - available for 2-hour reserve at UWM Library
Brad Gregory, Rebel in the Ranks (HarperOne, 2018). ISBN: 978-0062471185
Eamon Duffy, The Voices of Morebath: Reformation and Rebellion in an English Village (Yale University Press, 2003). ISBN: 978-0300098259 - available via interlibrary loan and online via UWM-Libraries online access
Richard Marius and Melvin E. Page, A Short Guide to Writing about History, 7th Edition. New York: Pearson (2010). - available for 2-hour reserve at UWM Library
Any subsequent edition is also suitable.
Available for 2-hour reserve at UWM Library
Archive.org has the 3rd edition available for free digital rental
Course Requirements
Attend and participate fully in every class meeting.
Since this is a discussion-based seminar, your learning experience and the success of the course depend on your coming to every session prepared to engage in the week’s assignment. This means reading each text closely and thoughtfully and coming to class ready to discuss your insights and questions. You must attend all class sessions; absences will be excused only in cases of illness or emergency. Any unexcused absence will reduce your final course grade. Please come to each session: the success of the course rests with you! (15% of grade)
Weekly and Short Assignments.
By the end of this semester I hope that you will have a thorough understanding of the work done by historians and how you can apply this to your own studies (even outside of history). Thus throughout the semester, you will be assigned a series of short assignments that will prepare you to participate in discussion and familiarize you with historical study. (30% of grade)
Original Research Paper of between 10-15 pages.
This is the central assignment of the course, and we will do a number of exercises along the way towards completing it. As history is not completed in isolation, you will not be alone in the construction of this paper. You will be given special help by library assistants, class-time will be dedicated towards writing and editing, and you will be given peer evaluation from your fellow classmates. (All scaffolded assignments + research paper will account for 25% of grade)
Reflection Essays on Historical Research and Writing
Throughout this semester, you will be asked to keep a short journal chronicling what you have learned about historical research and writing, and how you can apply that to your wider learning and career goals.
Toward the end of the semester, you will be asked to compile these reflections into one essay, between 3-5 pages highlighting what you learned about historical research and writing and how you will use both. (journal + two essays will account for 10% of your grade)
Class Symposium
Toward the end of the semester, we will hold a class symposium in which we will present (in a manner of your choice) your research content. (class symposium will account for 5% of your grade)
Grading Scheme
25% - Active Discussion Participation
35% - Weekly and Short Assignments
25% - Research Paper
10% - Reflection Essays on Historical Research and Writing
5% - Class Symposium
Statements
Accommodations
Please let Dr. Sunwall know – preferably during the first two weeks of class – if you have a documented disability and need any special accommodations in the curriculum, instruction, or assessments of this course to enable you to participate fully. I will endeavor to maintain the confidentiality of the information you share with me. If you have (or think you might have) such special requirements, you are encouraged to contact the Accessibility Resource Center (https://uwm.edu/arc/) with questions about campus disability-related policies and services.
Asking for Help
Please ask Dr. Sunwall for help! My entire purpose for teaching this class is to help you become the best researchers, analysts, writers, and speakers – the best historians – that you can be by the end of the semester. I can do that best if you ask when you’re confused, frustrated or discouraged. Research can be a very emotionally trying task! Don’t suffer alone – contact me to help.
Remember, if you’re confused, or overwhelmed, it is very likely others in the class are as well - help yourself, help your classmates - ask for help!
COURSE SCHEDULE
All readings not from the required course texts will be posted on Canvas.
Week 1 | Intro and Overview - Jan 24, 26
Tuesday
Course Introduction
Thursday
Richard Marius and Melvin Page, A short Guide to Writing about History (Preface, Chapter 1) - Canvas
Ann Blair, Too Much to Know: Managing Scholarly Information before the Modern Age (Introduction, Chapter 1) - Canvas
Week 2 | Late Medieval Church - Jan 31, Feb 2
Tuesday
Eire - Preface → Chapter 2
Brad Gregory, The Unintended Reformation (pgs 74-128) - Canvas
Thursday
Library Day 1 | Meet in Golda Meir Library (GML) 194: Classroom A
Week 3 | Humanism & early Catholic Reforms - Feb 7, 9
Tuesday
Library Day 2 | - Special Collections Presentation, The Origin of Printing - Meet at GML front Welcome Desk for instructions on how to get to 4th floor special collections.
Thursday
Eire - Chapters 3 - 6
Desiderius Erasmus, The Handbook of the Militant Christian (Canvas)
Week 4 | Luther - Feb 14, 16
Tuesday
Eire - chapters 7 - 9 (~86pp)
Martin Luther (Canvas)
Thursday
Library Day 3 | Archives - voices of protest and dissent, searching for primary sources (GML) 194: Classroom A
Week 5 | Swiss and Radical Reformation - Feb 21, 23
Tuesday
Eire - chapters 10 - 11 (~67pp)
Selections from the works of Ulrich Zwingli (Canvas)
Balthasar Hubmaier (Canvas)
Thursday
Week 6 | Calvin/ism - Feb 28, Mar 2
Tuesday
Eire - chapter 12 (~31pp)
Selections from the works of John Calvin (Canvas)
Thursday
Library Day 4 | Primary Source Analysis with WI church records - BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE laptop/tablet/etc - (DH Lab)
Week 7 | The British and Irish Reformations - Mar 7, 9
Tuesday
Eire - chapter 13 (~47pp)
Selections from the works of
Thomas Cranmer (Canvas)
Thomas More (Canvas)
Henry VIII (Canvas)
Elizabeth I (Canvas)
Thursday
Library Day 5 | Advanced disciplinary search strategies: historiography/literature searching, cited reference searching, finding and searching within specific history journals (Library Classroom A: GML 194)
Week 8 | The British and Irish Reformation (Catholic Popularity) - Mar 14, 16
Tuesday 3/14
Duffy, The Voices of Morebath (all)
Wednesday 3/15
Thursday 3/16
Week 9 | Spring Break - Mar 21, 23 - NO CLASS
Week 10 | Research Week - Mar 28, 30 - NO REGULAR CLASS
Tuesday 3/29
No Class or Primary Reading for Tuesday - Spend time preparing paper
RESEARCH ASSISTANCE WITH LIBRARIANS: 9AM-4PM (virtual or in-person)
Wednesday 3/30
RESEARCH ASSISTANCE WITH LIBRARIANS: 9AM-12PM (virtual only)
This day’s sessions moved to April 3rd
Thursday 3/31
No Class or Primary Reading for Tuesday - Spend time preparing paper
RESEARCH ASSISTANCE WITH LIBRARIANS: 1-4PM (virtual)
Week 11 | Catholic Reforms - Apr 4, 6
Tuesday
Eire chapters 14 - 15 (46pp)
Optional - Give Dr. Sunwall (at least 5 pages) PAPER draft of paper (in class, or drop off at Office B50, Engelmann Hall). He will review and give back with comments by April 21st. This is not worth extra credit, but it will (almost guaranteed) improve the final grade you receive on the paper. Also, check out the Writing Center!
Thursday
Selections from the Council of Trent and Theresa of Avila (Canvas)
Chapters 2 and 4, A Short Guide to Writing about History (Canvas)
Week 12 | Catholic Reforms (clerical and monastic emphasis) - Apr 11, 13
Tuesday
Eire chapters 16-17 (~51pp)
Selections from the works of
Ignatius Loyola (Canvas)
Thursday
Library Day 6 | Visit to Marquette University Archives
Send peer reviewers a minimum of 10 pages
Week 13 | Consequences of the Reformation - Apr 18, 20
Tuesday
Eire chapters 20 - 23 (~131pp)
Thursday
In-class time devoted to symposium preparation. Discuss your peer review with partners. Turn in electronic copy of peer review to Dr. Sunwall.
Week 14 | Course Symposium - Apr 25, 27
Tuesday
6-7 minute oral presentations of paper
Thursday
6-7 minute oral presentations of paper
Friday
Optional - Undergraduate Symposium - participation will boost final paper grade by 10%
Week 15 | Consequences of the Reformation - May 2, 4
Tuesday
Eire chapters 24 - Epilogue (~95pp)
Thursday
Methodology: Marketing yourself
Sunday (May 7)
Final draft of paper is due by 11:59pm CDT, Sunday, May 7
Week 16 | Rebel In the Ranks - May 9, 11
Tuesday
Library Day 7 | History research and relationships panel (DH Lab) + featuring bagels and coffee
Thursday
Brad Gregory, Rebel in the Ranks: Martin Luther, the Reformation, and the conflicts that continue to shape our world. (available via interlibrary loan)
Week 17 | Exam Week - May 16, 18
Tuesday
No Class
Thursday
No Class