Rethinking Community in the Middle Ages

This workshop pairs medieval texts (the South English Legendary and Ælfric’s Colloquy in the faculty-led discussion) with and against theories of community (Jean-Luc Nancy, Saskia Sassen, Barbara Rosenwein, Arjun Appadurai). To what extent does critical theory help us question and model how we think about constellations of and identifications with community in the Middle Ages? What are the limits of theoretical models — as well as of those of medieval texts? The workshop will involve presentations and discussions led by faculty in the morning, followed by student-led presentations and discussion in the afternoon. Students are welcome to present on medieval texts of their choosing.