Course Title: Great Books: Reformation and American Roots.
Grades: 11
Credits: 2
A. Course Description:
Great Books: Reformation and American Roots is a survey of great western literature and historical sources from the Reformation through the Enlightenment.
B. Course Objectives/Methods:
This course is an is a detailed examination of Theology, Philosophy, Literature as they develop out of the Late middle ages and into the Enlightenment and the formation of the United States. Great emphasis is placed on understanding each author and work in their historical context. Classes are conducted using the Socratic method to encourage independent research and critical thinking skills.
C. Course Goals:
Students will be able to do the Following:
- Accurately interpret key passages and paraphrase them in writing and speaking;
- Orally present summaries and critical analyses of daily readings and entire works;
- Identify multiple levels of meaning in a text using appropriate interpretation techniques;
- Identify and explain the key elements of beauty in literature;
- Independently generate ideas relating course material to other contexts;
- Independently synthesize various ideas from different authors into a coherent thesis for discussion and writing;
- Persuasively argue a thesis in speech and writing;
- Critically analyze, in discussion and writing, authors' ideas from Scriptural perspective;
- Independently identify the influence of the authors studied on culture, especially as the students see it in their own contexts and worldviews.
D. Teacher Materials:
Class notes, outlines. See required student texts.
E. Student Texts:
Calvin, John. Golden Booklet of the True Christian Life. Baker Books. ISBN: 0801065283.
Descartes, Rene. Meditations on First Philosophy. trans. Donald A. Cress. Hackett Publishing Company. ISBN: 0872201929.
Donne, John. Complete Works of John Donne. http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/donne/donnebib.htm *
Eberwein, Jane Donahue. ed. Early American Poetry. University of Wisconsin Press. ISBN: 0299074447.
Hobbes, Thomas. Leviathan. Penguin Classics. ISBN: 0140431950.
Locke, John. The Political Writings of John Locke. ed. Paul E. Sigmund. W. W. Norton. ISBN: 0393964515.
Madison, James. Federalist Papers no 10 & 51. http://www.constitution.org/fed/ *
Marlowe, Christopher. Dr. Faustus. Signet Classics. ISBN: 0451527798.
Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quijote. trans. Burton Raffel. ed. Armas Wilson. W. W. Norton. ISBN: 039397281X.
Milton, John. Paradise Lost. Barnes and Noble Classics. ISBN: 1593080956.
Moore, Thomas. Utopia. ISBN: 9780140449105
New England Primer http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/nep/1777/index.htm *
Paine, Thomas. Common Sense. http://books.google.com/books?id=lDcNAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA1&dq=common+sense+paine&as_brr=1 *
Pascal, Blaise. Pensees. trans. A.J. Krailsheimer. Penguin Classics. ISBN: 0140446451.
Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. The Social Contract. trans. G. D. H. Cole. Dover Publications. ISBN: 0486426920.
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet (Folger Shakespeare Library). Washington Square Press. ISBN: 9780743477123
Shakespeare, William. Shakespeare's Sonnets (Folger Shakespeare Library). Washington Square Press.
c. Copyright Providence Christian Academy
* Indicates a resource freely available on the internet.