Ateneo - UPO

"Love for Letters and Desire for God": Preaching in the Romance Language in the 12th Century. Advanced Seminar.

For attending students, the specific bibliography will be provided in class, following students' interests. Bibliography (a selection) - Jean Leclercq, L’amour des lettres et le désir de Dieu, Paris, Cerf, 1957 [3 ed. 1990, 4 ed. 2008] ; trad. ita Cultura umanistica e desiderio di Dio, several editions and reprints. - Michel Zink, La prédication en langue romane avant 1300, Paris, Champion, 1982 (2nd ed.). - Brian Stock, The Implications of Literacy. Written Language and Models of Interpretation in the Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries, Princeton, Princeton UP, 1983. - Gioia Paradisi, La parola e l'amore. Studi sul Cantico dei Cantici nella tradizione francese medievale, Roma, Carocci, 2009. - Geneviève Hasenohr, Textes de dévotion et lectures spirituelles en langue romane (France, XIIe-XVIe siècle), Turnhout, Brepols, 2016. - Nicole Bériou, Religion et communication. Un autre regard sur la prédication au Moyen Âge, Genève, Droz, 2018. - Michel Zink, Parler aux "simples gens": un art médiéval, Paris, Cerf, 2023. - Nicole Bériou, Le pouvoir de l'éloquence. Parole et pastorale dans la chrétienté latine (XIIe - XIIIe siècles), Genève, Droz, 2024. - Piero Andrea Martina - Fabio Zinelli, Traductions monastiques du Nord Est de l’espace d'oïl au XIIe siècle, Strasbourg, Editions de Linguistique et de Philologie, under contract. Non-attending students will choose a program with the teacher.

Knowledge: - Basic knowledge of the mechanisms of text transmission in the Western Middle Ages; - Knowledge of philological methods for working with texts; - Basic knowledge of the main periods and key aspects of medieval literary history. Skills: - Ability to read a medieval Romance-language text in its manuscript form; - Ability to independently approach and critically analyze a philological problem; - Ability to use the bibliographic tools of the discipline. Transversal Abilities: - Refinement of the ability to present topics discussed in class and studied independently; - Refinement of text analysis skills for Romance-language texts; - Refinement of critical skills in engaging with a written text.

Basic philological-linguistic knowledge is expected following a Bachelor's degree in Humanities. Students who have not yet taken an exam in Romance Philology must promptly contact the instructor.

Lectures; seminar discussions; individual study.

Students with disabilities, Specific Learning Disorders (SLD), or Special Educational Needs (SEN) may request dedicated services and tools by contacting the Career Development and Student Services Staff and by consulting the dedicated page on the University website: https://uniupo.it/it/servizi/servizi-studentidisabilie-dsa. Once they have contacted the University Staff, students with disabilities, SLD, or SEN must also contact the course instructor to agree on the exam arrangements at least 15 days before the exam; some of these arrangements must be approved by the instructor in advance.

Learning will be assessed both during the course and through a final exam. The evaluation will be based on the following points: 1. During the seminar, students are expected to actively participate in the lectures and discussions; 2. Students will be required to prepare an edition specimen of an unpublished medieval text, which will be presented and discussed in class; 3. Students must study a general reference volume, to be agreed upon with the instructor; 4. Students must submit a brief report (approximately 2 pages) on a book or a selection of articles read independently, as agreed with the instructor; 5. The oral exam will conclude the assessment process, during which the student will present the work they have carried out. Weighting of each component for the final grade: • Point 1: 10% • Point 2: 30% • Point 3: 20% • Point 4: 20% • Point 5: 20% Honors ("cum laude") will be awarded based on the depth and originality of the written work and the oral exam.

For the academic year 2025–2026, the seminar will focus on the study of selected examples of vernacular preaching from the 12th century. The topic will be explored through the reading of specialized bibliography, direct examination of a selection of texts, and the study of the manuscripts in which they are preserved. Some unpublished texts will be the subject of a critical edition exercise carried out as part of the seminar itself. In the first part of the course, the following topics will be addressed: • Preaching in the Romance language: direct and indirect sources (up to the 11th century); • Saint Bernard: Latin preaching and the debate on (possible) French preaching; • Style and language: the sublimity of Bernard's prose; • Romance-language production in the 12th century: the manuscripts; • Translated preaching; • "Threshold sermons": short texts and miscellany manuscripts. The second part of the course, which will take a more seminar-style format, will involve the reading and editing of selected texts, primarily from the following manuscripts: ms. Nantes, Musée Dobré, 5; Paris, BnF, fr. 24764; Paris, BnF, fr. 24768.

In order to achieve the basic-level knowledge, skills, and competencies, the student is expected to demonstrate the ability to: - (Knowledge and understanding): Have acquired a fundamental understanding of the topics covered in the course and in the assigned bibliography; be able to comprehend a medieval Romance-language text. - (Ability to apply knowledge and understanding): Be able to work with an unpublished medieval Romance-language text, placing it within the literary context of its time. - (Judgment and critical thinking): Be able to discuss editorial choices based on class discussions. - (Communication skills): Be able to clearly present—using proper Italian and disciplinary terminology—the knowledge acquired during the course and through independent study, as well as justify editorial choices. - (Learning skills): Be able to use the methodological tools provided in class or prepared for independent philological study and work.