The Stories We Tell: Medievalism and White Supremacy
The Candler Foundry in partnership with North Decatur Presbyterian Church.
Course Information
Course Dates: March 5 - April 2, 2023
Course Time: Sundays 9:45 AM - 10:40 AM EDT (online and in-person)
Course Description
A famous anthropologist once suggested that culture was simply “the stories we tell ourselves, about ourselves.” These origin stories matter, and the way we tell them matters even more. In Western Europe and the United States, many white supremacists seek out stories from the “Middle Ages” as evidence supporting ethnic nationalism (wherein a particular story about a certain people, is tied to a particular political entity).
Protesters in the Charlottesville “Unite the Right Rally” and in the January 6th insurrection deployed various medieval iconography, including Crusader catch phrases and crosses of the Knights Templar. In this way, they attempted to connect their actions to a version of the past they perceived to be more pure and more accurate than the stories being told by others.
In this course, we will build on the work of scholars like Chord Whittaker and Geraldine Heng to dig into these stories, interrogating the ways in which our own context shapes the way we read and tell the stories of the past.
For more information, please email our Coordinator of Courses in the Community, Damellys Sacriste, at candlerfoundry@emory.edu.
Pitts Theology Library Digital Resource Access
Explore your theological questions
All registered participants in the Courses in the Community program have access to select Pitts Theology Library resources. These resources can be used to research topics, authors, or areas of interest from class discussions. Please click on the link below to be taken to the library access portal. If you need assistance, please contact Cristha Edwards Lea, Coordinator of Digital Initiatives, at candlerfoundry@emory.edu.
Username: corinthianconversationsp23
Password: foundryaccess01222023
Meet the Instructor
Dr. Sarah Bogue
Dr. Sarah Bogue joined the faculty as Assistant Professor in the Practice of the History of Christianity and Director of Digital Learning in 2020, however she has worked at Candler and Pitts Theology Library in a number of roles since 2010. While earning her PhD from Emory’s Laney Graduate School, Bogue taught classes at Candler in church history and Latin grammar. Both in the classroom and as a reference and instruction librarian, and later as the head of research and access services at Pitts, Bogue helped students find the connection between academic research and vocational exploration. As the director of digital learning, she played a fundamental role as the school transitioned to online learning in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic (read more).
If you have any questions about the course, please feel free to reach out to Sarah at sarah.bogue@emory.edu.
Tell Us How We’re Doing!
Your feedback is important to us! Throughout your time in this course, you are encouraged to let us know how we are doing. Please click on the button below to submit a short survey or submit any comments you would like to share with our team. We look forward to serving you!
Courses in the Community: On Demand
Please check this section regularly for your weekly course recordings and important updates. If you are experiencing any delays or issues, please email our Coordinator of Digital Initiatives, Cristha Lea at candlerfoundry@emory.edu.