Co-Director, Medieval Studies Program
Research Interests:
- Commentaries on Bible (esp. Psalms)
- Schools and early universities
- Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela and to Rome
- Indulgences
Publications:
The Psalms Commentary of Gilbert of Poitiers: from lectio
divina to the lecture room. Brill: Leiden, 1996.
"What's a good soldier to do? Nicholas of Lyra on the Psalms"
in: The Biblical Commentaries of Nicholas of Lyra, Lesley
Smith and Philip Krey, eds. Brill: Leiden, 2000.
Gilbertus Porretanus, Commentarius in Psalmos: edition of text;
in progress.
The Tradition of Psalms Commentary in the Latin Middle Ages
(editor & contributor) Forthcoming, Brill.
Past president, Society for the Study of the Bible in the Middle
Ages. Ask me how to subscribe to the list!
"What I Did on my Summer Vacation"
I Worked! And loved every minute...because I was working
on a big project which I love, in Paris, with two recent graduates
of Loyola University (both now in graduate schools elsewhere) who
have worked on the project with me for a couple of years as Mulcahey
Scholars. We received a grant from Loyola's Center for the Advanced
Study of Christianity and Culture, which enabled us to rent a great
apartment for six weeks while we worked at the Bibliotheque Nationale
and the Bibliotheque Mazarine in Paris. The project is a transcription
and edition of a 12th century latin commentary on the Psalms (it's
really way more exciting than it sounds) and the manuscripts we
worked with are beautiful. It was a privilege to have access to
them, and a pleasure to work with our brilliant LU students. Are
you a Loyola student who studied Latin in high school or in college?
Are you interested in the Middle Ages? Would you like to learn how
to read gothic scripts and work with manuscripts? Contact me and
we can talk about it! (Caveat: The photo isn't one of the manuscripts
we were working on, but it IS at least a glossed text of the right
period, so until I can get one of my own photos up here we can look
at this!)
Fall 2004 Course offerings:
HIST 101.032 Evol Wst Ideas /Inst to 17C (WTC)
HIST 101.33 Evol Wst Ideas/Inst to 17C (WTC)
HIST 488.807 Tps: Medieval History (This course will meet at the
Newberry Library. Students must also register with Newberry Library
to assure a place).
Spring 2005 Course offerings:
HIST 311/MSTU 332
The Medieval World
We will begin with the "Twelfth Century Renaissance"
in all its fascination: the burgeoning of schools and learning and
the origins of the University; the development of the nation-states;
chivalry and courtly love; pilgrimage and saints cults; the crusades
and Spanish "Reconquista"; the growth of town and urban life and
new experiments in architecture (the invention of "Gothic" art).
We will continue through the thirteenth century synthesis and confront
the difficult years: 100 Years War and the Black Death. Having survived
those, we will then watch Europe re-create itself yet again, examining
the origins of the "Renaissance" in Italy and north of the Alps.
12th century ambone, Ravello
14th century, Apocalyptic horsemen
Graduate course:
HIST 523
Indulgences: Pilgrimage, Purgatory, and Popular
Culture
The much-maligned medieval indulgence is normally studied in reference
to the Crusades or to the Reformation, and nearly always as an instrument
of the papacy. Yet the conceptual roots of indulgences antedate
the crusades and the "papal monarchy". Only scant attention has
been paid to the relationship between
indulgences and pilgrimage, even though forgiveness
of sin was a (if not the) major factor in the motivation of pilgrims.
This course will focus on the role of indulgences (both formal and
popularly understood) in the development of pilgrimage; at the same
time, it will add to our understanding of the role of pilgrimage
in the development of the indulgence through the Middle Ages. To
get at this new history and "prehistory" of indulgences, we will
use a number of sources (translated), including: miracle collections;
popular and troubador song; paraliturgical texts; papal documents;
sermon collections; ecclesiastical architecture, sculpture and decorative
arts. This is a graduate seminar. We will meet as a group frequently
to discuss standard accounts and new work on indulgences, as well
as to explore a selection of primary sources. Participants will
focus their energies on writing a research paper on some aspect
of indulgences in the Middle Ages; interdiciplinarity is encouraged.
SUMMER IN ROME!!!
May 23 - June 24, 2005
HIST 300/MSTU 343/THEO 317: Medieval Pilgrimage in Rome
A
thousand years ago in Rome pilgrims trod the ancient streets, marveled
at imperial ruins and paid their respects to the resident saints
Walk with them as we rediscover the "lost" city
of Medieval Rome!
ROME, summer session May 23 - June 24, 2005
History 300/MSTU 343/THEO 317
3-credit hours in 5 weeks: ON SITE
Fulfills History major requirement for Pre-1700 European
Discover the history of Rome and Christianity through the phenomenon
of pilgrimage. This course will be conducted entirely on site,
using the art and architecture of Rome as our classroom. We will
acquire an understanding of pilgrimage and the cult of saints, while
learning about the development of the city of Rome, the history
of the popes, and the roots of modern Catholicism.
For questions about this course, please contact:
tgross@luc.edu
For details on costs, registration, et cetera, contact:
Loyola University Rome Center
773-508-2760
toll-free: 1-800-344-ROMA (7662)
Visit the website: www.luc.edu/romecenter
Detailed course description:
This course will explore the history of Rome and of Roman Christianity
through the phenomenon of pilgrimage. Students will first of all
learn about the cult of saints and the role of relics in the early
centuries of Christianity, with just enough theological background
necessary for clarification. Students will then discover the complex
motivations for medieval Christian pilgrimage (including miracles
and indulgences), and how pilgrimage helped to define the relationship
between Rome and the rest of Christian Europe. Pilgrimage also had
a profound impact on the physical, artistic, economic and political
development of Rome, so students will appreciate the mutual influences
of religion and culture on each other. By the end of the course,
students will be able to speak knowledgeably about aspects of the
development of the papacy, the interrelation between theology and
popular religion, and urban development in Rome up to the Renaissance.
This will be achieved through textbooks (2), several short primary
source readings (web-based), lots of maps(!) and five weeks of walking
around Rome, literally in the footsteps of medieval pilgrims. One
classroom lecture the first day of class will get us started, but
the rest of the classes will be centered around itineraries that
unfold different aspects of the pilgrimage phenomenon, such as:
architectural responses to the cult of saints, ecclesiastical power
struggles in and around Rome, actual itineraries from medieval pilgrims,
development of papal "stations", Christianization of pagan sites,
and more. Students will be given maps of each day's itinerary (a
bonus "outcome: polish your map-reading skills!). One day's journey
will take us up to Viterbo, a crucial (and beautiful) pilgrimage
city to the north of Rome, where pilgrimage helped shape the city
and its history.
The process of "discovery" itself is crucial; while learning about
medieval pilgrimage, students will develop their ability to interpret
and interrelate literary sources, as well as works of art, buildings
and archeological remains, so that later on they will feel more
comfortable "reading" literary and material evidence for other cultures
they come into contact with.
Assignments will include preparing and presenting short site reports.
The final exam will include identification and a short essay question.
Office Phone:
(312) 915-6526
E-mail address:
tgross@luc.edu
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