The Medieval Mind in the Lone Star State: Teaching Medieval Political Thought

Everything is bigger in Texas, even the universities. But what is it like teaching medieval intellectual history at one of the largest public research institutions in the US? Listen in to a conversation with Dr. Cary Nederman, Professor of Political Science at the Bush School of Texas A&M University. A scholar of medieval and early modern intellectual history, Dr. Nederman shares how he became a political theorist of the Middle Ages more or less by accident and how the study of ideas, especially those of William of Ockham, can shape civic life today. Hear about collaboration in academia, from undergraduates to full professors, how COVID-19 reshaped his teaching, and why modern social media might have more in common with medieval friendship networks than you’d expect.

Meeting in the Middle Ages is hosted by Will Beattie and Ben Pykare, both Ph.D. candidates at Notre Dame’s Medieval Institute. The podcast is sponsored by the Medieval Institute of the University of Notre Dame and supported by the Medieval Academy of America’s Graduate Student Committee through their Community Building Award.