INQ-110 | The Seven Deadly Sins

Full Title: The Seven Deadly Sins

Topic Description:

Lust, gluttony, greed, pride, envy, wrath, and sloth—the seven deadly sins of the Middle Ages—are vices still making headlines in the modern world.  When did the seven deadly sins enter the historical record?  Were some sins considered more egregious than others?  How did medieval thinkers talk about them?  How did medieval artists depict them?  How did medieval men and women of all classes experience them?  Why were they so popular in the High and Late Middle Ages?   And, how have conceptions of them changed over time?  In this course, students will seek to understand the seven deadly sins as cultural constructions whose longevity and centrality attest to their importance in shaping the medieval worldview.  With a strong emphasis upon document analysis, this course will also introduce students to rigorous inquiry in the liberal arts while developing critical reading, thinking, and academic writing skills. 

Counts as Global? No

Topic Approved: March 2012