COR 420 SACRED TRUST: AN ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE ON MONOPOLISTIC BEHAVIOR IN THE MEDIEVAL CHURCH
At the end of this course students will have developed an understanding of the interdependent relationship of the sacred and the secular. Using the lens of economic theory to examine the activities of the Church of the Middle Ages, the Crusades, marriage practices, usury, relics, and other aspects of Church practice are seen as more than a set of rites and actions designed to secure eternal salvation; but also as monopoly practices designed to secure markets and eliminate competition. While it is not the purpose of this course to undermine the nature of faith and religion in the Middle Ages, it is the purpose to separate the “human” from the “divine” by concentrating on the economic nature of the Church as opposed to the Godly nature of faith. This is an extremely difficult distinction, if a distinction can be made at all, and a firm grounding in religious studies, history, or art history, in addition to basic coursework in economics, would be helpful. This course is writing intensive. Open to students in the third or fourth year of study.
Prerequisite
Open to students in the third or fourth year of study.
Course Types
Core Interdisciplinary Seminar