Life as a Jew in the Middle Ages was difficult across both Christendom and Islamic lands. To help us unpack the topic, Rabbi Rocklin will address the following questions:

1. How much truth is there to the notion that life for the Jews under Medieval Christendom was bleak?
2. Why did distinctions between Sephardic and Ashkenazic traditions begin developing in this time?
3. What fueled the many Jewish migrations across Europe? How does the Spanish Inquisition fit into the larger picture of persecution?

When it came to establishing the doctrine of the Catholic Church, there are few quite as important and influential as Augustine. To explore the topic, Rabbi Rocklin will address the following questions:

1. Why are Augustine’s reflections on his childhood considered monumental?
2. According to Augustine, what is the best way for a Christian to protect his soul? How can the Christian achieve immortality?
3. How does Augustine reimagine history distinct from Herodotus and Thucydides?

Recommended Reading: Augustine of Hippo. Confessions. Translated by F.J. Sheed. Indiana: Hacket Publishing Company, 2006.

The disasters of the fourteenth century triggered reactions that involved and impacted the highest levels of the Roman Catholic Church. As we work through the topic, we’ll explore the following questions:

1. How did the populace of Europe respond to the disasters of the fourteenth century?
2. Why did religious reformers begin springing up around this time? How did the Church react to them?
3. What were the goals of Gothic architecture?