Class dates: Wednesdays, Feb 11, 18, 25 March 4, 11 (5 weeks)

Class time: 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm

Location: ZOOM

The Book of Kells is a medieval Gospel manuscript thought by many to have been created between the 7th and 9th centuries by Christian monks living on the Scottish island of Iona. This Irish cultural treasure is celebrated primarily for its incomparable artistry, but the manuscript is also steeped in a complex religious and political history, along with a bit of mystery. In this course, we’ll combine art history with social history to follow the twists and turns of the Book’s journey from a remote monastic Christian outpost to its tourist-attraction home at Trinity College, Dublin.The Book of Kells is a medieval Gospel manuscript thought by many to have been created between the 7th and 9th centuries by Christian monks living on the Scottish island of Iona. This Irish cultural treasure is celebrated primarily for its incomparable artistry, but the manuscript is also steeped in a complex religious and political history, along with a bit of mystery. In this course, we’ll combine art history with social history to follow the twists and turns of the Book’s journey from a remote monastic Christian outpost to its tourist-attraction home at Trinity College, Dublin.

Instructor: Kathleen Fisher has taught at WISE since 2019, offering courses in religion and spirituality through a variety of poets, philosophers, religious figures, and historical texts. She holds a Ph.D. in Medieval History and Religion from Boston University where she focused on Irish history and medieval monasticism. During a long teaching career in Theology at Assumption University, she taught courses in World Religions and Christian Spirituality, among others. Kathleen now lives in Chapel Hill, NC.