Spring 2006 Seminar Schedule
Classical Athens, Republican Rome, and the Invention of Democracy
March 24 & April 7, 2006
Since the emergence of democracy in Athens in the fifth century BC, democratic forms of government have flourished and failed, been equally applauded and viewed with suspicion. The discovery of democracy is a brilliant story that has much to offer us in an age of global, political change. We will examine first the development of democratic institutions in Classical Athens and analyze the reasons for Athens’ fall. We will then investigate the development of democracy at Rome as Roman power spread across the Mediterranean, followed by its collapse in the first century BC with the emergence of the first emperors. We will work with original sources in translation, reading selections from Thucydides, Plato, Aristotle, Cicero and Caesar.
Seminar Instructor: Dr. Melissa Dowling, Associate Professor of History
The Good Book as Textbook? The Bible in Public Schools
March 22 & April 5, 2006
This seminar explores a series of timely questions: Is there a place for the bible in a public school curriculum? How can teachers integrate biblical materials into their classes? How can they ensure that classroom use of biblical materials is intellectually rich, non-sectarian in nature, legally appropriate, academically sound—and unlikely to land them in hot water with students, parents, principals, and the school board?
Seminar Instructor: Dr. Mark Chancey, Associate Professor of Religious Studies
The Cult of Impressionism and the Modern Museum
March 22 & April 5, 2006
This seminar will use the occasion of “Paul Gauguin and Impressionism” --an exhibition at the Kimbell Museum in Fort Worth on display between December 18, 2005 and March 26, 2006-- to explore the artistic, cultural, and economic phenomenon of Impressionism. The first session will be devoted to an historical overview of the movement itself (1874-1886) and its impact on the development of modern art. During the second class, we will analyze Impressionism as a cultural and economic phenomenon, specifically its origins in relation to the emergence of the dealer/gallery system and rise of the art market, and its position in the 20th century as the “bread-and-butter” of the modern museum.
Seminar Instructor: Dr. Janis Bergman-Carton, Associate Professor of Art History
More Seminars
For TAS seminars offered by the University of North Texas, visit www.coe.unt.edu/tas.