September 2026 Modules

Welcome to the Readings in Prose page for the Advanced Old English Series in which students explore, in alternating months, a work of prose and then a work of poetry to introduce students to the breadth and depth of Old English texts available for study. Each month Dr. Swain surveys the group to see what they want to tackle next from month to month.

Want to read the NT in the original Greek? The Greek translation of the Old Testament? This module’s for you! We continue our study introducing learners to the basics of ancient Greek: the alphabet, introduction to the verb system (tenses and moods) and the noun system (the very helpful article, first and second declension). Over several modules, the students will learn the foundations of the language and then students will be able to read texts.

Note: All sessions will be live recorded and shared with all enrolled students afterward for review and to allow those who cannot attend live to still participate in the class.

Join Dr. Irina Manea on an amazing journey through Ancient Scandinavia, a true "laboratory" for investigating the development of human societies from the melting of the ice sheets to the dawn of the medieval world.

In this module, we'll explore together how a barren land, freshly exposed by retreating glaciers around 13,000 BC, was pioneered by resilient hunter-gatherers and eventually transformed into the seat of powerful Norse kingdoms. We begin with the Late Paleolithic foragers and hunters who settled the Norwegian coast by boat with remarkable speed, covering over 2,000 km in just a few centuries. We walk the road to farming, leading to a landscape defined by tens of thousands of megalithic tombs and the mastery of polished flint technology. Reaching the shining Nordic Bronze Age, we discover a period of expansive dynamism where an elite warrior class funded a spectacular culture of gold and bronze by monopolising the international amber trade and financing long-distance sea voyages. From the Tollense Valley battlefield to the ritual weapon sacrifices found in Danish bogs, we witness the formation of "central places" like Uppåkra and Gudme in the Iron Age, multifunctional hubs where powerful rulers controlled trade, religion, and the military centuries before the first true towns appeared.

Although best known for its Viking Age, Scandinavia boasts an enormously rich prehistory well worth investigating.

Week 1: Deep prehistory
Week 2: The first farmers: Neolithic Scandinavia
Week 3: Of art and war: the Nordic Bronze Age
Week 4: Secrets of the Iron Age

This sixth-month programme consists of six individual learning modules, and each module entails eight lessons spread over four weeks. The focus of these modules is three-fold.

Module 1 introduces, in a relaxed and stepwise manner, the essential grammar of the Latin language—from the basics of noun declensions (Module 1) to the uses of the subjunctive (Module 6). Grammar is not an end in itself but helps us to understand texts in a more accurate manner and to become more fluent. The grammar which you will learn roughly follows the order prescribed by Shelmerdine’s Introduction to Latin (second edition only), which will serve as textbook throughout the modules.

Across six modules, your Latin vocabulary will grow to roughly 2,000–3,000 words. The preceptor will also tailor, to an extent, the vocabulary you learn in accordance with your specific subject interests (see below).

We will learn to enjoy reading basic Latin texts, including adaptations of original Latin texts (as your level increases), modern texts and literature in Latin (such as The Hobbit or simply daily news), and tailored texts which I will create according to your own interests (whether philosophy, art, Tolkien-based, science, or anything else really).

In a given week, the basic idea is for the first lesson to be more instructional, focused on explaining key grammatical constructions, while the second lesson will take the form of a workshop, where we will translate passages together and discuss any issues, and where the preceptor can help answer questions from homework assignments. Depending on the class’s interests, we can also divide into groups.

Note: "Basic Latin" does not involve translating English into Latin (so-called ‘prose composition’) or learning how to speak Latin (oral communication). Both of these are higher-level competencies, which you might encounter in intermediate or advanced Latin courses.

Beginning Quenya aims to take students with any level (or no level) of previous language experience and introduce them to the quest to learn Quenya, Tolkien's most developed invented language.

Each module of the course will be structured around a weekly lecture and practicum, with a pre-recorded lecture released to the students at the beginning of each week, explaining new concepts and giving (optional) exercises to aid in student mastery of each topic. These lectures will be followed by a weekly discussion section/practicum, where each section can work through problems, clarifying questions, and practical exercises as a group to reinforce each lesson.

Optional learning resources will be provided for the students each week, but the most important part is to simply listen to the lectures and take part in the practicum sessions!

The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:

Outline	8-Session Structure
Week 1	Lecture 5: Learning Tengwar and its Practical Applications
	Discussion 5: Class discussion on Lecture 5 material.
Week 2	Lecture 6: The Declension System
	Discussion 6: Class discussion on Lecture 6 material.
Week 3	Lecture 7: The Past Tense, Prosodic Lengthening
	Discussion 7: Class discussion on Lecture 7 material.
Week 4	Lecture 8: Integrative Lecture II Bringing It Together: Grammar and Translation
	Discussion 8: Class discussion on Lecture 8 material.

This module is a continuation of the Biblical module series for students who want to learn how to read Biblical Hebrew. The course would include some speaking, listening, and writing skills as well. But people who learn Biblical Hebrew do so in order to read it, so reading and comprehension skills would take primary focus.

This is the textual language of the early classical Chinese philosophical and literary tradition, bearing a relationship to modern forms of Chinese like that of classical Latin to a modern Romance language. Just as one does not need to know Italian to study Latin, no prior knowledge of modern forms of Chinese is needed to study the classical language. This language served as a kind of "lingua franca" throughout East Asia for much of history, much like the role Church Latin served in medieval Europe. In this module we will begin building the grammar, syntax, and vocabulary to eventually be able to engage with the texts associated with Chinese thinkers such as Confucius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, and Mozi. If a cohort forms, we can continue this study within a continuing sequence. We will focus exclusively on developing the ability to read it as a literary language.

We will meet to blend learning, discussion, and playing games with reading, appreciating, and commenting on one another’s work as it is submitted for peer review. Writers are encouraged—but never required—to submit new pieces in any state of draftiness or readiness up to 2,000 words each week for peer reading and feedback. Our Collaborative Feedback method, developed here at Signum University, asks us to comment at the author's comfort level through a structured reader (not editor) response. We gather to encourage the story that the author wants to tell. Our philosophy of kindness first might just turn around your previous experience of writing groups.

Note: For more information about the Collaborative Feedback Method in SPACE, please check out our video here.

This course explores how fantasy worlds are created across literature, film, and games. The foundational idea is Tolkien's concept of subcreation and the idea of the "secondary world". Through lectures and discussion of excerpts from other books and articles about world building, we will explore what fantasy worlds are, how they are built, and the cultural and importance of these worlds. Through examination and discussion of fantasy texts excerpts we will explore how these concepts apply. We will look at excerpts from Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, Phillip Pullman’s The Golden Compass, and N.K. Jemisin’s The Fifth Season, but no previous knowledge of these stories will be necessary for the course.

This module is intended to be accessible to anyone interested in reading, watching, or playing fantasy and those who compose it themselves. Its primary drive is to give students a deeper understanding of the genre, its roots, and its capacity as a narrative device.

The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:

Outline	8-Session Structure
Week 1	Session 1: What is a Fantasy World? (Tolkien and the Secondary World). Exploring Tolkien's idea of subcreation and what makes fantasy world feel real.
	Session 2: How world are built. How setting, history, and internal logic shape immersive fantasy worlds.
Week 2	Session 3: Different Ways Fantasy Worlds Work. Exploring how fantasy can operate in different modes and structures.
	Session 4: Fantasy and Reality. How Fantasy Relates to the real world and what it reveals about it.
Week 3	Session 5: Why fantasy matters. The cognitive and imaginative value of fantasy and why we engage with it.
	Session 6: Case study- The Fifth Season. Examining how modern fantasy builds complex and original worlds.
Week 4	Session 7: Case study- The Golden Compass: Looking at world building across literature and adaptation.
	Session 8: Case Study- The Lord of the Rings: Examining generational story telling through myth, fantasy, and multimedia adaptation.

Unlock the secrets of medieval buildings—real and imagined! Step into a world of soaring cathedrals, fortified castles, sacred wells, and the fantastical architecture of Chaucer’s imagination.

In this course, we’ll explore how medieval structures were built, used, and imagined, learning to “read” their stories, symbolism, and hidden messages. From dramatic sieges to miraculous springs, from intricate stained glass to impossible fictional spaces, you’ll gain the tools to explore medieval architecture on your own, uncovering the stories that these remarkable buildings have been telling for centuries.

Course Outline:

Week One
• Session 1: The Temple of Solomon and Heavenly Jerusalem
• Session 2: A church for Saint James in the Field of Stars
Week Two
• Session 3: Under Siege
• Session 4: Chaucer’s murals and the Italian Trecento: Chaucer's The Knight’s Tale
Week Three
• Session 5: Chaucer’s The House of Fame
• Session 6: Reading Stained Glass at Chartres
Week Four
• Session 7: Sacred Wells and their Shrines
• Session 8: Reading St. Mary’s Church in Iffley, Oxfordshire
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Grab a cup of tea and join Keli for a discussion on the long anticipated Netflix live action adaptation of Avatar the Last Airbender, Season 2.

In this module we'll discuss one of the live action episodes for each class session. While not required, it is highly recommended that students have seen seasons one and two of the animated series, and the first season of the Netflix adaptation as we will be discussing adaptation choices.

During the module, students should watch the episodes from Avatar the Last Airbender, Season 2 in between sessions.

This is a reading-only module series for students of Japanese language who would like to improve their kanji recognition, vocabulary, and general reading skills in the language. The class is designed so new students may join at any point.

We will select a reading and take turns reading it together, word-by-word, sentence by sentence. Short stories, poetry, essays, manga, newspaper articles, blog entries and so on are all sources for material that we can draw upon, always keeping in mind that our selections should be suitable for Japanese language learners of intermediate level (approximately JLPT N4-to early N3 level, or having completed the first two Genki textbooks).

Recorded Series: All sessions of this series are recorded and provided afterwards to enrolled students in order to support the learning of the group.

Ready to continue reading Old English texts but looking for a lighter pace and additional linguistic support? This series of Intermediate Old English Readings provides a guided pathway into the same rich body of prose and poetry explored in the Advanced Old English Series, while offering a more gradual reading pace and expanded instructional support.

Each module focuses on a selected Old English work drawn from a range of genres, including biblical retellings, allegorical poetry, homiletic prose, and other representative texts from the Old English canon. Modules are designed as stand-alone readings, allowing students to join in any month. Throughout each module, Dr. Isaac Schendel works with participants to build reading fluency, reinforce grammar and vocabulary, and explore the literary, historical, and cultural context of each text.

This series is intended for students who have completed a beginning Old English sequence or who possess equivalent familiarity with core grammar and foundational vocabulary. Students should be prepared to work through authentic Old English texts with guidance, dictionary support, and collaborative discussion, but full comfort with advanced poetic conventions or complex syntax is not required.

Required texts vary by module. Please consult the specific monthly module listing for text and edition information.

Quite a few people have heard of Karl Marx and Marxism, but far less have ever stopped to learn what Marxism is really all about. Is it simply an economic theory, or a political movement? Is it a philosophy of history, or just a critique of capitalism? Why has it shaped revolutions, labor movements, academic disciplines, and political debates across the world for more than 150 years? For some, it represents the dream of economic democracy and liberation from exploitation. For others, it evokes authoritarianism, failed states, and political repression.

This introductory course explores the foundations of Marxist thought in a clear, simple, and accessibly grounded way. Through four pre-recorded lectures and four discussion sessions, students will learn and discuss the core concepts developed by Karl Marx and later Marxist thinkers, including ideas like class struggle, historical materialism, exploitation, alienation, ideology, revolution, and socialism. The course will also provide an introductory examination of how Marxists understand capitalism, why they believe economic systems shape society and politics, and how Marxist ideas evolved through labor struggles, anti-colonial movements, and debates within the socialist tradition itself. We will end through looking at how Marxism has touched other disciplines beyond economics, culminating in a critique of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings through the lens of Marxist literary criticism. No prior background in philosophy, economics, or political theory is required or needed, just your curiosity.

The module approaches Marxism through historical and scholarly analysis rather than political advocacy. Students will critically examine Marxist ideas, their historical development, and their influence on contemporary debates.

Whether you are sympathetic to Marxism, skeptical of it, or simply interested in understanding one of the most important intellectual movements of the modern world, this course will provide the tools to think critically and historically about capitalism, socialism, and the future of human society.

The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:

Outline	8-Session Structure
Week 1	Session 1: The World of Karl Marx: History, Class, and Struggle
	Session 2: Discussion Session 1
Week 2	Session 3: Capitalism and Exploitation
	Session 4: Discussion Session 2
Week 3	Session 5: Revolution, the State, and Socialist Transitions
	Session 6: Discussion Session 3
Week 4	Session 7: Marxism Beyond Marx: Sociology, Literary Criticism, and The Lord of the Rings
	Session 8: Discussion Session 4

This module explores the fourth book in the series: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2020).

Series Outline:

What lessons do the Capitol and Districts have to teach us? What warnings should we heed? What road leads from here to Panem? Over the course of five months, participants in these SPACE modules will read and discuss a modern classic of dystopian storytelling, The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins.

In this hybrid series, each week will include one lecture and one live discussion. The lectures will examine the inspirations behind, allusions in, and questions posed by that month's novel. In live discussions, participants will share their insights on, interpretations of, and reactions to the story. Together we will consider why this series has spoken to so many readers and explore how its messages remain relevant today.

Students will be asked to read one book over the course of each month in whatever format they choose. All of these novels are available in print, ebook, and audio format.

(Warning: The Hunger Games series include descriptions - for a young-adult audience - of substance abuse, physical abuse, violence, and death.)

Series Outline:

• Module 1: The Hunger Games (2008)

• Module 2: Catching Fire (2009)

• Module 3: Mockingjay (2010)

• Module 4: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2020)

• Module 5: Sunrise on the Reaping (2025)

This module explores the fourth book in the series: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2020).

Series Outline:

What lessons do the Capitol and Districts have to teach us? What warnings should we heed? What road leads from here to Panem? Over the course of five months, participants in these SPACE modules will read and discuss a modern classic of dystopian storytelling, The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins.

In this hybrid series, each week will include one lecture and one live discussion. The lectures will examine the inspirations behind, allusions in, and questions posed by that month's novel. In live discussions, participants will share their insights on, interpretations of, and reactions to the story. Together we will consider why this series has spoken to so many readers and explore how its messages remain relevant today.

Students will be asked to read one book over the course of each month in whatever format they choose. All of these novels are available in print, ebook, and audio format.

(Warning: The Hunger Games series include descriptions - for a young-adult audience - of substance abuse, physical abuse, violence, and death.)

Series Outline:

• Module 1: The Hunger Games (2008)

• Module 2: Catching Fire (2009)

• Module 3: Mockingjay (2010)

• Module 4: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2020)

• Module 5: Sunrise on the Reaping (2025)

In this series of modules, you will get familiarized with basic Japanese vocabulary and structures. Using a communicative approach, you’ll learn basic expressions, start to learn the hiragana script, and recognize katakana and kanji in a fun and interactive way. We will also explore Japanese culture in general. いっしょに日本語を学びましょう！

Note: All sessions will be live recorded and shared with all enrolled students afterward for review and to allow those who cannot attend live to still participate in the class.

In this series we’ll study Japanese using different tools such as videos, games, and different exercises. We’ll explore different aspects of Japanese culture and work on more complex vocabulary, grammar, and sentence patterns. We’ll also watch lots of videos, play games, and read graded readers among other things.

Note: Japanese Through Culture is for students who already have a basic level of Japanese.

This module offers a series of Latin readings that review material covered in many traditional Latin I courses (including Signum's own Latin I graduate course and the first five Latin in a Year SPACE modules). Students will read selections from selected textbooks and Latin readers and attempt two short literary passages. All readings will be provided, though access to a Latin grammar book and a basic Latin dictionary may be beneficial.

Latin grammar assumed:
- Understanding of stems, endings, cases, agreement, and parts of speech
- Knowledge of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th declension endings for nouns and adjectives
- Knowledge of regular Latin verb conjugations in all indicative tenses (present, imperfect, future, perfect, pluperfect, future perfect), both active and passive, and the imperative forms
- Ability to recognize conjugations of of “sum” and “possum”
- Familiarity with ego, tu, is, hic, ille, iste, idem, qui, and reflexives
- Awareness of Latin numerals
- Acquaintance with ablatives of means, accompaniment, manner, time, agent, separation, and place from which, as well as genitive of the whole and use of genitive and ablative with cardinal numerals

This course is a lively introduction to the big ideas of film studies. Through lectures, clips, and discussion, we'll explore film history, genre, authorship, culture, and the many ways we can interpret what we see on screen. Whether you're a devoted cinephile or simply love watching movies, you'll leave with new ways to think about—and enjoy—the films you watch.

This course builds on LCM1: Intro to Reading Films, but it’s not necessary to take that before taking this one. The two together will just give a strong foundation for the film courses to come from Maggie in her two series of classes.

*Note: Since this module is about visual interpretation of a scene, parts of it may not be accessible for visual/sight or hearing impaired.

Between the Great Schism (the separation of Orthodox and Catholic churches in 1054 CE) and the Protestant Reformation (initiated by the Church of England separating from the Catholic Church in 1534 CE) lies the medieval period of Christian history. The Church was theologically and spiritually vibrant during this time, marked by the parallel developments of scholasticism and mysticism within the Catholic tradition.

The basic premise of this course is that modern society has not outgrown the lessons to be learned from this period of history. Exploring how medieval Christians lived—and applying their perspectives with care—can enrich our lives today.

Old High German (OHG) is a group of Germanic dialects spoken in the Holy Roman Empire from the 6th to the 11th centuries, and although it does not have the same breadth of literature as Old English, it still boasts a number of fascinating texts, such as the alliterative poems Muspilli and Das Hildebrandslied and rhymed poems like Das Ludwigslied and Otfrid of Weissenburg’s Evangelienbuch. The language is necessary for a complete understanding of Germanic Philology, and the corpus offers important material for students of mythology, folklore, comparative literature, religious studies and medieval culture.

Every iteration of this module takes into consideration the language skills and interests of the students, and each month will focus on different texts and progress at a different speed. Anything from the Merseburger Zaubersprüche to the works of Notker Labeo is open for our enjoyment and edification.

Prerequisites: Participants should be familiar with at least one Germanic language (for example: Old English, Old Norse, Middle High German or Gothic).

Note: All sessions will be live recorded and shared with all enrolled students afterward for review and to allow those who cannot attend live to still participate in the class.

While the idea of establishing an ‘actual’ utopia has been disparaged since the first half of the twentieth century from socio-political perspectives (e.g. the failed age of ideology from 1917-1945), literary and related cultural narratives have a long history of imagining and representing utopia (also paradise, the golden age, etc.). These utopias often function to criticize the problematic social norms and climates of their times as well as providing progressive imaginings for a better future, often based on certain ideals or virtues. In this module, we go on a chronological tour of different representations of utopia, including: the paleolithic utopia of hunter-gatherers (e.g. as discussed in Harari’s Homo Sapiens) (before 10,000 BC), the Bronze Age utopia of Minoan Crete (4000-1400 BCE), Plato’s mythical island of Atlantis (ca 400 BC), the pastoral utopia of the Roman poet Virgil (ca 40 BC), the New World utopia of Sir Thomas More (1516), the Enlightened, reasoned utopia of Robinson Crusoe (1719), Tolkien’s fantasy utopia of Númenor (ca 1940), and more.

Fairy Tales enchant us; they remind us to take a fresh view on daily life; and while many Andersen's tales are filled with sorrow, their beautiful and vivid imagery never ceases to amaze us. We will examine the works of Hans Christian Andersen from the perspective of creative writers, learning from this timeless storyteller. In one meeting, Pilar Barrera will lift up Andersen’s tales which demonstrate different themes or specifics of his craft. Then students work on their own stories, learning by experimenting with Andersen’s techniques. In the following meeting, Sparrow Alden will facilitate a workshop-style discussion of our original tale-telling work; we'll encourage one another as writers and appreciate one another as readers, then the cycle repeats. Our goal is to complete the month with a deeper appreciation for the tales we all love and a folder with one to four good drafts of original tales.

Course Outline:

Week One
• Session 1: Intro to Andersen’s Classic Tales
• Session 2: Writers’ Workshop
Week Two
• Session 3: Andersen’s Tales of Personification
• Session 4: Writers’ Workshop
Week Three
• Session 5: Andersen’s Larger than Life Themes
• Session 6: Writers’ Workshop
Week Four
• Session 7: Andersen’s Darker Side
• Session 8: Writers’ Workshop
*Note: For more information about the supportive Collaborative Feedback Method in SPACE Creative Writing, please check out our video here: Collaborative Feedback Method .
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Beer has been humanity’s traveling companion since before the dawn of agriculture. For millennia, this simple beverage has evolved alongside us, serving as wages and currency, as a source of safe and stable food and drink, as a spiritual stimulant and oath-sealant, and as a spark for industrial and scientific development. Each of these and other uses are accompanied by stories: tales of individuals, communities, and countries whose fortunes rose and fell alongside beer. It is truly humanity's drink: from the lowliest serf to the greatest kings, it has followed and filled us.

This module includes two cords: along with learning the history entwined with this beer, we will also explore the craft of homebrewing. As we learn about its various components, we gain an applied-scientific understanding of their purposes and dive deep into the cultures that helped discover their uses. You will gain practical knowledge of how to create delicious beers in your own home, with tips and tricks from an experienced home and professional brewer. The final "project" of each module is to create a style-appropriate beer from a menu of culturally-specific recipes.

(Note: While this is a single SPACE module, it is intended to be run as a new course each time, with a different cultural focus and therefore new menu of recipes.)

Although they were never completed in his lifetime, JRR Tolkien wrote what he considered his three "Great Tales" of the Elder Days and intended them to be a significant part of his wider Silmarillion. These Tales are The Tale of Beren and Lúthien, The Children of Húrin, and The Fall of Gondolin. Some parts of these Tales can be found within the published version of The Silmarillion, but the more recently available individual books provide additional and extensive details for each story.

In this course, we will have a ‘read-along’ discussion of The Fall of Gondolin. Each session we will consider our close reading of a section of the story, examining Tolkien’s use of language and narrative structure, as well as exploring ideas about what each Tale tells us about Tolkien’s secondary world.

Access to a copy of The Fall of Gondolin will be necessary, and you may find having a copy of The Silmarillion very useful.

Although they were never completed in his lifetime, JRR Tolkien wrote what he considered his three "Great Tales" of the Elder Days and intended them to be a significant part of his wider Silmarillion. These Tales are The Tale of Beren and Lúthien, The Children of Húrin, and The Fall of Gondolin. Some parts of these Tales can be found within the published version of The Silmarillion, but the more recently available individual books provide additional and extensive details for each story.

In this course, we will have a ‘read-along’ discussion of The Fall of Gondolin. Each session we will consider our close reading of a section of the story, examining Tolkien’s use of language and narrative structure, as well as exploring ideas about what each Tale tells us about Tolkien’s secondary world.

Access to a copy of The Fall of Gondolin will be necessary, and you may find having a copy of The Silmarillion very useful.

Confucianism, Daoism, Legalism, Mohism---these Chinese philosophical systems all have their foundational roots in the Warring States period of Chinese history (475–221 BCE), and as such share a set of common interests, even if their proposals for attaining those interests greatly differ. In this module we will cover the basic concerns of each of these systems, paying attention to their differences as well as their similarities, and perhaps most importantly, seeing how their proposals for the attainment of human flourishing may still have something to offer to contemporary people.