Students gather for a group photo in Germany during their European tour for the “Printers and Protestants” course. Photo courtesy James Duncan
Taking the journey abroad Walking history’s footsteps gives students insight for today By Jamie Eiland Imagine walking through the historic, cobblestone streets of Geneva, Switzerland. The stones are just damp from light rain the previous night. Snowcapped mountains tower above the city. To the left, historic architecture. To the right, Lake Geneva glistens as the bright morning sun reflects off its waves. A group of Anderson University students may get to experience this view next year as part of an AU Abroad course through the College of Arts and Sciences. Two AU professors, one an expert in communication and the other in history, will be leading students to the places frequented by Johannes Gutenberg and Martin Luther as part of a course called “Printers and Protestants: A History of the Printing Press and the Reformation.” James Duncan, associate professor of communication, and Lynneth Miller, assistant professor of history, will be traveling with their
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students to Switzerland, Germany, and France, studying the Protestant Reformation and the beginnings of the printing press. The 10-day trip in May 2020 will follow a semester of classroom study on the AU campus. The class will visit sites associated with some of the significant historical figures who helped transform culture in the Western world. Duncan said that by visiting locations like Luther’s confessional room and witnessing the original Gutenberg Bibles, students will be able to have first-hand experience with the events that shaped present-day morals and thought. “It’s the sensation of knowing that you are walking on the streets that great men have walked on. Things that are mythic become more real,” Duncan said. “It is inspiring because these big, great men become smaller and real, giving me hope that I can one day too be great, inspirational, or make an impact.”
