medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Good day, all!
Cate Gunn wrote:
> For the final class I suggested a debate on the
> theme 'More was lost than gained by the stripping of
> the altars',
Good move! When I taught an introductory philosophy
class to a variety of freshmen who came from as wide
a spectrum of background imaginable, I found raising
questions and letting the class debate the answer the
best way to teach the course.
She also wrote:
> expecting a reasoned, historical debate on the loss to
> our parish churches of images during the Reformation.
> I was not prepared for the emotional intensity of the
> debate - I felt I was witnessing a rerun of the
> Reformation and at times wished I had a fire extinguisher
> to hand.
Ah. You were an optimist and were disappointed. I'm
a pessmist; we're never disappointed.
Seriously, on a loaded subject like this one, you can -- and
should -- expect a lot of heat along with the light. I, too,
admit a bit of suprise when my students voices raised and
became more and more strident in what was considered by
most of the university to be a -- apologies to Mr Disney --
"Mickey Mouse" course. Then it dawned on me that the
students' emotional investment in the issues was an
advantage. I consciously assumed the role of referee,
getting agreement on what we would allow and what we
would not allow in the fracus. We also discussed how one
makes one's point logically, a point obviously more cogent
to a phil course than a history course, though I like to think
it has applications there, too.
Fire extinguisher? No. Loud whistle to temporarily stop
play? Probably. So long as all participants understand
the rules, something of this nature can be a magnificent
teaching tool, especially if the students are forewarned
that what they hold near and dear is going to be challenged.
My gang of rowdies and preppies soon jelled. Once they
understood what is and what is not permissible in a
reasoned debate, they were really very self-policing.
Yes, occasionally I had to shout a halt to procedures;
but this occurred perhaps three times in the term. Since
two of the times occurred during our debate on the
right or wrong of abortion on demand, you can see they
became a pretty well-behaved bunch. Moreover, their
papers as well as their discussions demonstrated they
had loaded their brains before they shot off their mouths.
The course you teach would seem to me to be a magnet
for people with strongly-held views. I understand that
you want to inform these folks, not correct them. If they
know early on they will have the opportunity to express
their views logically and given a chance to learn facts to
bolster their position, you can use those views -- regardless
of what they are -- to motivate. As they search the facts
for ammunition, they cannot help but stumble across a
few that will compel rethinking their positions -- again,
regardless of what those positions are. They will learn,
perhaps in spite of themselves.
Go for it! (And buy a good whistle.)
Regards,
Frank Morgret
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