SHERMAN, TEXAS--Austin College will hold 'Medieval and Renaissance Week' on campus February 9 through 13. A number of lectures, free and open to the public, will highlight the week and celebrate the roots of Western civilization in the ancient world and their contemporary significance. All listed events are free and open to the public.
“Ancient literature, art, philosophy, science, politics, laws, and religions are fascinating in their own right,” said Karann Durland, Austin College professor of philosophy and director of the College’s Western Intellectual Tradition program. “They also are integral to the birth of Western civilization, and they continue to shape modern societies. We (and especially our students) are often so focused on the contemporary world that we lose sight of this, and our lives—and often our understanding of contemporary issues—are the poorer for it.”
The week is designed to promote a vibrant intellectual community outside the classroom by celebrating works that were produced long ago but remain relevant and interesting. A number of presentations are scheduled:
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10
• 11:30 a.m., Wright Campus Center, Room 231
“Made by Barocci: Authorship and Originality in Italian Renaissance Painting” by Jeffrey Fontana, Austin College associate professor of art and Harry E. Smith Distinguished Teaching Professor at Austin College.
• 4:30 p.m., Wright Campus Center, Room 231
“Enlightened Blubber: The Eclipse of the Monstrous in Rabelais' Quart Livre” by Andy Pigott, Austin College assistant professor of French
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11
• 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Wright Campus Center, Main Foyer
“Writing with Style: Calligraphy Demo and Hands-On Experience” by Hunt Tooley, Austin College professor of history
• 4:30 p.m., Wright Campus Center, Room 231
“Extemporary Rhetoric: Improvising Shakespeare and Other Classical Forms” by actor and teacher Oliver Senton
• 8:30 p.m., Ida Green Communication Center, Beardsley Arena Theatre
“The School of the School of Night,” a live, cutting-edge, historically-informed improv performance by Oliver Senton
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12
• 11:15 a.m., Wright Campus Center, Room 231
“From Religious Rage to Raging Racism: The Image of the Jew in Medieval and Nazi Germany” by Ruth Cape, Austin College associate professor of German
• 4:30 p.m., Wright Campus Center, Room 231
“An Anglo-Saxon Bishop, Battle, and Book: A Brief Story” by Robert Upchurch, associate professor of English and English literature medievalist at University of North Texas:
Organized by the Western Intellectual Tradition program, the event is supported by the Department of Art and Art History, Department of Classical and Modern Languages, Department of English, Department of Philosophy, the Mellon Course Partnership Program, and the Johnson Center for Faculty Development and Excellence in Teaching.
Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 36 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of 1,250 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 12:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.