Due: Thursday, April 12th in the History Office, 145 Eggers Hall, by 4pm. It is recommended that you give the paper to the office staff, so that they can verify the time you turned it in. Please do not slide them under the door of my office, and do not send them through Campus Mail. The TA for your discussion section will be grading your papers; any special arrangements should be made with him/her.
Lateness policy: One full letter grade will be deducted for each day (not counting weekends) the paper is late, unless you have a valid excuse: medical (get a note from the Health Center) or serious family emergency.
Please write a 4-5 page (typed, doublespaced) essay on one of the following topics.
1. Throughout this course, we have seen a variety of movements that in some way or another undertook to "reform" Christianity. Pick any two movements or periods of reform, at least one of which must be from material we covered after Spring Break, and compare/contrast them. What did they think was wrong with Christianity in their time, or with the church as an institution? What were their proposed solutions, and what were the religious beliefs and/or moral values behind their proposals?
2. Discuss the role of force and coercion in religion, during the Middle Ages and the early Reformation (i.e. based on material we covered in Weeks Eight through Twelve). Should unbelievers be forcibly converted? Should heretics be punished for their own good? What arguments were made by contemporaries for and against the use of force? Since this is a short paper, you should focus on two or three case studies (particular incidents, or particular writers) and compare/contrast them.
These are very broad questions, and there are any number of ways you could answer each. That is to say, I am not looking for any particular "right" answer. The important thing is that you decide which interpretation makes sense to you, make a clear argument, and support it by referring to evidence. Your paper should emphasize analysis, not just narrative.
***Please note: each of the assignments given above REQUIRES you to make use of primary sources (medieval texts, usually in the xerox reader or assigned online.) You may also refer to Thomson or Zophy or to my lectures, but it is NOT ACCEPTABLE to turn in a paper based solely on textbook and lectures.
Again, please read carefully the handout defining and explaining plagiarism that I distributed with the first paper. Also, please review the comments and corrections you received on your first paper. There is no excuse for making the same mistakes twice!
Advice:
Below are some helpful web resources. I particularly encourage you to consult these if you have not done a college-level history paper before, or are worried about your grade. (All are courtesy of Paul Halsall, University of North Florida.) Of course, please feel free to consult either with me or with your TA if you have any questions.
Getting Started: This link gives advice on brainstorming, researching, outlining. For this essay, there is no expectation that you use sources above and beyond the readings assigned to the class. If you choose to use outside materials, please cite them properly! If you use something from the Internet, please give me a full URL.
Style, Grammar, Footnoting etc.: some guidelines on basic mechanics of college history papers.
Confused about Grading? Another good online resource, a discussion of what distinguishes an "A" paper from a "B" or "C."
Try also Resources for Writers, a very helpful website at the University of Kansas.