The three short papers for this course have two purposes.  First, they are designed to help you learn to do critical analysis of historical texts.  In other words, you will learn to exercise your powers of observation and judgment in a way pertinent to primary-source documents from the history of ancient and medieval Christianity.  Second, they are intended to encourage discussion in class. Most readings consist of a single treatise or a coherent section of a work by one author.

As you read the primary sources, some of the following background questions might be helpful:

 *What type of literature is this?  (e.g. letter, theological treatise, biography, chronicle, etc.)
 *Who is the author?  What can we learn about his/her background or personal experience  from the text itself?
 *To whom is the text addressed or directed?
 *What is the main point or thesis of the text?  How does the author develop this central  idea?
 *What question(s) is the author trying to raise and answer?
 *What issue(s) or problems(s) is he/she trying to address?
 *What is the historical context, and how does this setting contribute to the way the author  sees the issue?

A. Set the context
        Are authorship, date and place of writing clearly established?   What must one know about the historical context in which the author worked if one is to understand the text?  (This kind of information should be gleaned from lectures and background reading in your survey.)  [perhaps 1/2 page]
 

B. Develop a well-sustained thesis!  [This should be the main body of your paper, in this case 1 1/2-2 pages]

Start with a clear statement of your thesis.  What is a thesis statement? (Adapted from Paul Halsall, UNF)
            You cannot formulate even a provisional thesis statement until you have done at least some preliminary reading. The final form of your thesis statement may be altered after further readings. Some students have difficulty grasping what is meant by a "thesis statement."

            A thesis statement (the word means "idea") is not:
                -a statement of the topic [e.g. "This paper is about Joinville's view of Louis IX "],
                -a statement of intention [e.g. "I will look at the issue of Joinville's view of Louis IX's policies to the Jews"],
                -a statement of a blindingly obvious truth [e.g. "Louis IX was a French king who supported anti-Jewish policies"].

            Rather, a thesis statement seeks to summarize in one or two sentences the argument you will make in your paper. A good thesis statement focused and original. Here is an example:
               -"Joinville presents King Louis IX's policies towards the Jews as an example of Louis' piety, but such policies derived not only from Louis's own beliefs but from his efforts to increase royal power by claiming religious authority."

            If this were your thesis statement, your paper would then consist of arguments to defend this thesis and to refute objections.

            To summarize-
                You have a THESIS
                    --> the thesis is backed up by a number of ARGUMENTS
                        --> the arguments are supported by FACTS or SUPPORTING
                        ARGUMENT or a mix of both
                            --> the facts, especially important ones, are reinforced by
                            CITATIONS AND NOTES.

        Since for this class your papers are short you may only have one or two arguments supporting your thesis, but any arguments you make should be supported by evidence, including key citations, from the primary source text.  (You may indicate page or section numbers of texts in brackets at the end of sentences instead of footnotes.)
 

C. Reaction:  critical assessment, raising questions, counter-proposal.  (This may be part of your thesis, but it may also be a response to your thesis.)  Think about some of the following questions:  Is the author’s purpose and/or motivation evident?  Does the author’s thesis or argument hold together?   Does it rest on presuppositions which make sense in that time but might not in another historical period such as our own?  (You might want to consider one of the questions raised in “How to Read a Document”.)  Be specific in your objections as well as in your positive assessment.  It is not enough to say that you “like” or “don’t like” Perpetua, Irenaeus, or Augustine.  Explain why.  [½-1 page]

a. Keep your papers short--approximately 3 pages (no more than 900 words)!  If you want to try a more exciting approach, be sure of your reasons and remember the purposes of the assignment.

b. Stick to the text; work at what the author is trying to say and why he or she is saying it.

c. Research beyond the editor’s introduction and the textbook is not required.  If you do more, do not lose your focus on the assigned text.  Any additional reading is meant to shed light on it, not to replace it.

d . Intelligible English prose is expected and appreciated.  Please use inclusive (non-sexist) language.  Writing clearly is an important professional skill for many different lines of work.

e. Please proofread your paper carefully for spelling mistakes and typos.

f. All direct quotations must be placed in quotation marks and the page or section number of the relevant text indicated in parentheses at the end of the citation.

g. Leave margins for comments.

Finally, don’t be afraid of the assignment!  Your first effort may not be very rewarding, but I expect you will benefit from the experience of analyzing these works  If  you have problems or questions, don’t hesitate to contact your TA or the instructor.