medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Graham Lewis wrote:
>
> Do you really believe that undergraduates on your courses have the
same
> intellectual capacity as a medieval peasant?
>
Probably about the same. The real question is whether thay have the
same
level of education.
Respondeo:
Now, now. We shouldn't underestimate the capacities of our students. I
am on something of a high, coming from the happiest half-hour of my
week, teaching a confirmation class of eleven year olds. Their grasp of
profound truths never fails to astound me. Our subject was Christ's
Ascension into heaven, and we were working through the Mass texts for
that day. We came to the Preface, which contains the phrase, "Christ,
the mediator between God and man." We discussed what is meant by the
word "mediator", and one of my eleven-year-old girls volunteered,
"Because he is God, he can see things from God's point of view. Because
he is a man, he can see things from man's point of view." Not bad, I
thought. Some people go through their whole lives without grasping that
point.
Applying this to our medieval peasant, there is no reason why he (or
she), with some help perhaps from a sympathetic priest, could not also
grasp these truths, even if she (or he) was illiterate; and the
standard of sculpture, stained glass and painting in our medieval
churches shows us that a very high standard of theological
understanding might be inculcated, even in the otherwise poorly
educated.
It is even possible to inculcate such standards in modern
undergraduates. I know, I have done it; and I dare say many others on
this list have done so as well.
Bill.
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