Mirabile dictu! December 2014 Mirabile dictu! The Newsletter of the Center for Medieval and Early Modern Studies (CMEMS) at the University of Colorado Dungeons & Dragons and the Medieval Historian by Professor Scott G. Bruce Mirabile dictu! an editorial on a topic close to my heart and some My apologies for the late arrival of this issue of exciting news about events coming up on the CU Mirabile dictu! The months of December and Boulder campus this coming year. I will be back in January were unusually busy for me and my family, touch again in the late spring with our 2015/2016 as we prepared to embark on an eight-month trip to calendar of CMEMS activities. All the best for a England to take up residence as Derek Brewer safe and productive spring semester and thank you Visiting Fellows at Emmanuel College in warmly for your support of CMEMS! Cambridge. I have decided to take a break from writing this newsletter during my time on leave, but Continued on 4 I wanted to close out 2014 with one more issue, with Announcing the First Annual Call for Papers for “Religion Mark Your Calendars for the Doug Burger Lecture in English and (the Master) Narrative” Annual Willard Lecture On March 10, David Aers Join us in October 2015 for an Professor John Van Engen (Duke University) will speak on interdisciplinary conference on (Notre Dame) will speak at CU periodization and literature. premodern belief and practice. Boulder on October 22! Page 2 Page 3 Page 6 Mirabile dictu! December 2014 Professor David Aers (Department of English at Duke University) is a specialist on medieval and Reformation literature and theology Professor David Aers is a path- During his visit to Boulder, breaking scholar of premodern Professor Aers will deliver the literature. Starting with his first First Annual Doug Burger book, Piers Plowman and Christian Lecture in Medieval and Early Allegory (St. Martin’s Press, 1975), Modern Literature, entitled and eloquently argued in his “Beyond Reformation: An Essay essay “A Whisper in the Ear of on Langland and Constantinian Early Modernists, or, Reflections Christianity.” This new public on Literary Critics Writing the lecture series in premodern SPEAKER PROFILE: ‘History of the Subject’,” in literature honors Professor Doug Culture and History, 1350-1600: Burger, a much beloved teacher DAVID AERS Essays on English Communities, who retired from the English Identities and Writing (Wayne Department at the University of David Aers is the James B. State University Press, 1992), Colorado in 2009. Please Duke Professor of English Professor Aers’ research has encourage your graduate and and Religious Studies and challenged our perceptions about undergraduate students to attend Historical Theology at periodization and literary history this provocative, interdisciplinary Duke University, who between the late Middle Ages and lecture. We look forward to works on medieval and the early modern period. seeing you all there! early modern theology, ecclesiology, politics and On Tuesday March 10 at 5pm, Professor Aers will literature in England. He is present a lecture entitled “Beyond Reformation: An the author of many books, Essay on Langland and Constantinian Christianity.” most recently Salvation and Sin: Augustine, Langland and On Tuesday March 10 at Fourteenth-Century Theology 5pm, Professor David Aers (University of Notre Dame will deliver the First Annual Press, 2009); Sanctifying Doug Burger Lecture in Signs: Making Christian Medieval and Early Modern Tradition in Late Medieval Literature on the Boulder campus of the University of England (University of Colorado. The venue for the Notre Dame Press, 2004); lecture has not yet been and Faith, Ethics and announced. Please contact Church: Writing in England, Professor Katie Little directly 1360-1410 (Boydell and for this information (see p. 3 Brewer, 2000). His current for her email address). This talk will be of interest to a research continues to wide range of faculty and develop his interests in students in the Departments of Christian traditions, English, History, Philosophy, theology and political and Religious Studies. As culture while also engaging always, this event is free and with some issues raised by open to the public. Students prevailing grand narratives are especially welcome to attend. of modernity. 2 Mirabile dictu! December 2014 CFP: Religion and (the Master) Narrative: An Interdisciplinary Conference on Belief and Practice In 22-24 October 2015, CMEMS is proud to sponsor We invite abstracts for papers 20-minutes in another interdisciplinary conference in conjunction length. Potential lines of inquiry may include: with our Third Annual James Field Willard Lecture changing narratives of religious reform; the in Medieval History, which will be presented by process of interpreting religious texts; dialogue, Professor John Van Engen (see p. 6). Like last year’s debate and exchange of religious ideas and very successful Medieval Materiality Conference, this knowledge; the creation and proliferation of meeting will be organized by Professors Anne E. images and material objects as a means of Lester (History) and Katherine C. Little (English). religious proof or as descriptions of the divine; Please consider submitting a paper proposal for what the meaning and process of translations of promises to be a stimulating discussion of religion in sacred texts; the role of religious drama; new medieval and early modern Europe and the New ways of defining or redefining the World. We look forward to hosting you on the Reformation; the relationship between gender Boulder campus of the University of Colorado! and religious practice; dialogue between Jews, Muslims, and Christians; the dissemination of ******** doctrine and theology among elites and non- elites; narratives that define or defy heresy; and Recent scholarship on medieval and early modern the role of narratives of religion in the early religion has begun to question fundamental categories modern New World. We will also welcome and ideas about religious narratives in the past and to papers that address how narratives about destabilize the meaning and chronological divisions medieval and early modern religion continue marking medieval Europe from Reformation Europe, to inform our contemporary moment. the Christianized from the pre-Christian. A more complex and nuanced portrait of belief and practice Plenary speakers at this conference include: has emerged. Where there was once a monolith – the John Van Engen (History, University of Notre homogeneity of medieval and Catholic Christianity – Dame); Sarah Beckwith (English, Duke now we have a sense of the vitality of popular University); Nina Rowe (Art History, movements (cults of saints, poverty movements, Fordham University); and Kenneth Mills Apostolic and women’s movements), interfaith (History, University of Michigan). exchanges (among Jews, Muslims, and Christians), and heresies (Wycliffites and Cathars). In addition, Abstracts (of 300 words) accompanied by a the Reformation has come to be seen less as an end to brief biographical statement should be sent to: the Middle Ages than inextricably connected to it as Anne E. Lester ([email protected]) OR another manifestation of religious reform. This Katie Little ([email protected]) conference seeks to bring together scholars from a The deadline for abstracts is 15 May 2015. wide range of disciplines to ask about how we might better understand medieval and early modern religion and the narratives generated to explain religious change and continuity. Given the legacy of the Middle Ages and Reformation in our own time, this topic is pressing and particularly timely. As globalization and religious plurality influence our contemporary world, we are compelled to ask deeper questions about the role of belief and practice, narrative and representation, plurality and coexistence in the past. To this end, bringing medieval and early modern ideas about religion in conversation with modern issues is one of the overarching goals of this conference. 3 Mirabile dictu! December 2014 (continued from p. 1) fantasy, and sword and sorcery. of the game (the Dungeon When I wasn’t outside playing Master or DM) is the narrator For an entire generation of street hockey or hide-and-seek of the story and plays the part of gamers, the image on the front with my friends, there was a every potential ally and foe that cover of this issue is both iconic good chance that I was curled the PCs meet. The DM does and terrifying. Painted by Erol up in some corner of the house not play against the players, but Otus, it represents a hidden reading comics. rather frames the story by corridor that leads to the lair of describing the setting and an undead wizard in a classic Unearthed Arcana prompting the players to Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) D&D was the a perfect gift for a respond. The DM’s refrain “So adventure module called Tomb reader like me. The game is not what do you do now?” is of Horrors. Few images evoke simple and the early rulebooks common in all D&D sessions. the character of D&D as well as (The Players’ Handbook, The The responses of the players this one: it is first and foremost Dungeon Master’s Guide, and the shape the story of the game. a game in which players co- Monster Manual) were massive Players use multi-sided dice to operate to explore a fantasy hardcover tomes with hundreds determine the outcome of environment that draws its of pages of arcane rules, combat and skill-related actions. inspiration from the literary intricate tables, and sage advice D&D stories (called campaigns) works of J. R. R. Tolkein, about running the game. After can stretch out over months and Robert E. Howard, and Michael receiving the Basic Set as a years and no two are ever the Moorcock. D&D made me a birthday present, I must have same. Depending on the medievalist, but not for the spent months reading and choices that they make, every reasons that you might expect.