Teaching Assistant: Ms. Elyse Pierce, Doctoral Student in the I.S.T. and D.U. Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion.

Course Description/Synopsis:

This course examines how religious traditions and societies have responded to major medical crises and disasters across time and place. Through a series of historical case studies students will explore how disease, epidemics, and pandemics redefined medicine, healing and resiliency while also giving rise to new cultural movements, socio-economic structures, social justice concerns, and social activism.

Jeff Levin, Religion & Medicine: A History of the Encounter between Humanity's Two Greatest Institutions . (Oxford Univ. Press, 2020). [Hardcover ISBN: 978-0-19-086735-5]

Frank M. Snowden, Epidemics & Society: From the Black Death to the Present. (Yale Univ. Press, 2020 edition). [Paperback ISBN: 978-0-300-25639-0].

Additional Required Readings:---- All other readings from primary or from secondary sources, will be made available to students as PDF's on the "Files" tab of our Canvas course site, and will be listed in the "Course Summary" section of the Syllabus for each week of the course in which the reading is due to be completed with full author, title, and page number information. Any relevant internal or external links to required readings available in the public domain will also be listed in the "Course Summary" of the Syllabus for each secondary source, or for each excerpt from a primary source text.

This course is designed with special emphasis on Iliff’s Degree Learning Goals for advanced History (HI) courses:

Historical Development and Expressions of Religious Traditions (HI): Demonstrate awareness of religious traditions as historically-situated movements that interacted and changed in relationship to their surrounding cultures and subcultures over time, resulting in various expressions located within and influenced by social structures and institutions, ideologies, historical events, ethnicity and gender, and cultural worldviews.

(1) Students will demonstrate a basic/general understanding of the history of medicine and healing practices from Antiquity to the contemporary period as related to disease, epidemiology, and pandemics.

(2) Students will demonstrate a critical understanding of the range of religious, political, economic, and socio-cultural responses to major outbreaks of disease, epidemics and pandemics across selected historical examples and their geographic locations.

(3) Students will be able to think critically about how medical crises affect religious practices and traditions, theological doctrines and personal piety, moral values and social structures by studying and discussing different case studies from among a range of epidemiological disasters across time and place such as: leprosy, the Black Death, smallpox, tuberculosis, AIDS, and COVID-19.

(4) Students will develop an understanding of how healing and resiliency function alongside religious values and traditions in the aftermath of major outbreaks of disease, epidemics, and pandemics.

(5) Students will develop an understanding of the social justice concerns and social change impacts that have historically emerged from major outbreaks of disease, epidemics and pandemics.

 Evaluation, Required Assignments, and Grading Procedures 

CANVAS - GROUP DISCUSSIONS/OPEN FORUMS : 40%

Students will participate in and complete FOUR separate on-line class discussions/open forums on different topics/themes selected by the instructor during the course.

Each one of the four class discussions/open forums will be worth 10 points for a total of 40% of the Final Grade in this course.   

In order to earn full-credit on each of the Group Discussion Assignments, each student must log-on and post responses two separate times to each group discussion topic/theme by the respective deadlines.

Posting a late initial response to the week's discussion topic will result in a point deduction for that week's Group Discussion/Open Forum. Be sure that your first posting arrives in a timely manner so as not to hold-up or delay the discussion forum for the rest of the class. 

Please remember to log back in to the Group Discussion/Open Forum to post your second required response to the respective week's theme or topic, and to extend the conversation by engaging your classmates before moving on to next week's course topics and reading materials.

Students will be expected to have read the assigned textbook sections, and the assigned primary or secondary source readings for each respective discussion topic/theme, and to have viewed the week’s recorded lecture(s) before participating in the respective class discussion assignment posted on Canvas. For further details see the Guidelines for Class/Group Discussion under the "Course Procedures & Expectations" section of the syllabus.

"Pandemics & Healing in History" (IST 3241) meets "live" on Zoom during the following Spring Term 2021 dates and times:

Student attendance in these three synchronous class sessions is required, and participation in all three sessions accounts for 15% of the Final Grade. 

Easter Recess:  Iliff's annual Easter Recess this spring term will be at the end of Week Two, during which time the school will be closed in observance of Good Friday on April 2nd, 2021, and will remain closed thru Easter Sunday on April 4th, 2021.  Thus our Week 2 Group Discussion/Open Forum assignment deadline has been moved to Monday April 5th by 11:59 pm (MST).   

MID-TERM ASSIGNMENT - Brief Proposal of Final Research Paper or Final Reflection Paper: 15%

Each student will write a minimum 2-page double-spaced summative proposal of her/his/their final Reflection Paper or Final Research Paper.

State your proposed paper’s thesis and/or topic then provide a summary of what you plan to work on, and explain why you chose this particular topic/theme. You must also provide a preliminary bibliography (BBL) of your proposed topic/theme. Four to eight primary or secondary sources from books, articles, and reputable websites is fine for this “preliminary” BBL.  (The instructor will provide sample Research Proposals on Canvas for students who wish to view the format of this assignment). 

DUE DATE: End of Week Six on Friday April 30th, 2021 by 11:59 PM (MST), and submitted to the instructor thru Canvas in Word format. (No PDF format documents please).   

Each student will write a final paper of no more than 8 to 12 pages in length on a topic of her/his/their choosing covered in this history course as outlined in the students' mid-term Research Proposal assignment.  ***More details forthcoming after the start of the Spring Term***

Note-Well: Students who are graduating this June 2021, must submit their Final Assignment, and complete any pending class work, at least one week prior to the rest of the class. (Due Date: T.B.A. right here asap). 

These final papers may take the form of a Reflection Paper providing a summary or synopsis of your chosen topic followed by theological and historical reflection on the topic/theme, and its relevancy to your areas of ministerial, professional, or academic interest. In other words, a reflective essay on some aspect of mysticism, reformism/revitalization, or the context of early-modern Spanish religious history.  On the other hand, you may prefer to write a more traditional Research Paper on a topic/theme of your choosing with a historical and theological focus on a topic/theme covered during the course.

"Pandemics & Healing in History" (IST 3241) meets "live" on Zoom during the following Spring Term 2021 dates and times:

Student attendance in these three synchronous class sessions is required, and participation in all three sessions accounts for 15% of the Final Grade in this course.

Iliff's annual Easter Recess this spring term will be at the end of Week Two, during which time the school will be closed in observance of Good Friday on April 2nd, 2021, and will remain closed thru Easter Sunday on April 4th, 2021. Thus our Week 2 group discussion/open forum assignment deadline has been moved to Monday April 5th by 11:59 pm (MST).

Guidelines for Online Group Discussions/Open Forums:

In order to participate effectively with their peers, and with the instructor and the Teaching Assistant, in each required/graded Group Discussion/Open Forum, students will be expected to have read the assignments for each week of the course, and to have viewed the respective video lecture(s) for the week of the class discussion.
A paragraph or so, or four to six complete sentences, is sufficient to receive credit. You can always do more if you like, but the idea is to generate conversation with each other while reflecting on the discussion topic.
Each required and graded Group Discussion/Open Forum is structured on Canvas so that you must first post your reply to the actual discussion topic, and then the next time you log-in to post you will be permitted to see other students' replies to the topic.
Please remember to log back in to the Group Discussion/Open Forum to post your second required response to the respective week's theme or topic, and to extend the conversation by engaging at least two of your classmates before moving on to the next week's course topics and reading materials.
You will get credit for doing the discussion assignment, and you will receive no credit/points if you don't do it, or you will receive reduced credit/points if you don't engage at least two of your peers in the week's discussion--- simple as that.
Late postings or incomplete participation in the online Group Discussion/Open Forum will result in a point deduction.
Students are expected to participate respectfully in all Group Discussions/Open Forum assignments by interacting in both positive and critically thoughtful ways with their peers, the instructor, and the TA.

Writing Lab:

Grammar and organization are important for all written assignments. Additional help is available from the Iliff Writing Lab . , which is available for students of any level who need help beginning an assignment, organizing thoughts, or reviewing a final draft.

Academic Integrity and Core Values:

All students are expected to abide by Iliff's Policies & Statement on Academic Integrity as published in the Masters Student Handbook , or the D.U. & I.S.T. Joint Doctoral Program's Statement on Academic Honesty, as published in the Joint PhD Student Handbook and as appropriate. All participants in this class are expected to be familiar with Iliff’s Core Values.

Incomplete Grades:

Incomplete Grade petitions will be granted only in the case of documented and verifiable medical circumstances or other personal or family related emergencies. In the event a student requires this option, the final grade for the course will be assigned as a "Pass" (P) or "Fail" (F) grade.

Additional Policies & Services:

For information about A.D.A. Accommodations , or for information about additional Iliff School of Theology "Policies & Services" go to this tab/section of our Canvas course page or go there by clicking on this Link.

Date	Day	Details
Mar 24, 2021	Wed	WEEK ONE: Welcome Message, Course Overview, and The Historian's Craft of "Re-Constructing" the Past	due by 05:59AM
Mar 27, 2021	Sat	WEEK ONE: Medicine, Religion, & "Healing" Through the Ages. **(ALL content updated 3/24/21 5:30 PM MST)	due by 05:59AM
Mar 30, 2021	Tue	WEEK ONE: Group Discussion/Open Forum #1 - Due Monday Evening March 29, 2021	due by 05:59AM
Apr 02, 2021	Fri	WEEK TWO: The Quest for Healing: Disease, Pandemics, Religion, and Medicine through the Ages	due by 05:59AM
Apr 12, 2021	Mon	WEEK THREE: Humanism, The Black Death, and Personal Piety during the Italian Renaissance	due by 05:59AM
Apr 16, 2021	Fri	WEEK FOUR: (A) Creativity, Beauty, & Resiliency after the Black Death; (B) Exploring and Discussing Renaissance and Reformation "Case Studies" of The Plague.	due by 05:59AM
Apr 19, 2021	Mon	WEEK FOUR: Group Discussion/Open Forum #2 - Due Sunday Evening April 18th, 2021	due by 05:59AM
Apr 22, 2021	Thu	WEEK FIVE: Leprosy in Religious, Cultural, and Medical History. (LEPROSY CONTENT from Dr. Gieseker)	due by 05:59AM
Apr 30, 2021	Fri	WEEK SIX: Smallpox in Religious, Cultural, & Medical History	due by 05:59AM
May 03, 2021	Mon	WEEK SIX: Mid-Term Assignment----Final Paper Proposals Due this Weekend by Sunday May 2nd, 2021 (MST)	due by 05:59AM
May 04, 2021	Tue	WEEK SIX: Group Discussion/Open Forum #3---Due by Monday Evening May 3rd, 2021	due by 05:59AM
May 08, 2021	Sat	WEEK SEVEN: Tuberculosis in Religious, Cultural and Medical History	due by 05:59AM
May 14, 2021	Fri	WEEK EIGHT: HIV-AIDS Global Epidemic in Contemporary Religious, Cultural and Medical History	due by 05:59AM
May 21, 2021	Fri	WEEK NINE: Reflections on Epidemiology, Trauma, Healing, and the Future of Medicine During and Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic	due by 05:59AM
May 24, 2021	Mon	WEEK NINE: Group Discussion/Open Forum #4---What Have We Learned about Pandemics & Healing in History That Applies to the COVID-19 Pandemic?	due by 05:59AM
May 29, 2021	Sat	WEEK TEN: Bonus Content--Cyber-Biology, Energy Medicine, and Spiritual Healing	due by 05:59AM
Jun 01, 2021	Tue	WEEK TEN: Submitting Final Reflection Papers or Final Research Papers and Details about Deadlines	due by 05:59AM
Jun 03, 2021	Thu	WEEK TEN: Assigning Points for Attendance & Participation in Zoom Meetings	due by 05:59AM

Pandemics & Healing in History

Pandemics & Healing in History - IST 3241

Instructor: Prof. Albert Hernández, Ph.D.

Email: ahernandez@iliff.edu

Office Hours:--- By appointment on Zoom or on mobile-call.

Course Description/Synopsis:

Evaluation, Required Assignments, and Grading Procedures

CANVAS - GROUP DISCUSSIONS/OPEN FORUMS : 40%