Nottingham University is facing backlash after placing a trigger warning on Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales because of “expressions of Christian faith.” The university’s decision has drawn sharp criticism from those who argue that the warning is unnecessary and devalues the educational experience for students studying one of the most important works of English literature.
The warning was included in a module titled Chaucer and His Contemporaries and alerts students to potential themes like violence, mental illness, and Christianity. Critics are baffled by the need to point out the religious content in a work that is deeply rooted in the Christian culture of the medieval period, when the stories were written.
The Canterbury Tales follows a group of pilgrims traveling from London to Canterbury Cathedral, and it features various characters, including the Wife of Bath and a miller. While the tales contain controversial elements like anti-Semitism and sexual themes, the university’s trigger warning focuses primarily on the religious aspects.
Frank Furedi, emeritus professor at the University of Kent, questioned the reasoning behind the warning, stating that “expressions of Christian faith” are integral to Chaucer’s work. Furedi argued that it is strange to warn students about religious content in a work from the Middle Ages when Christianity was central to life.
Nottingham University defended its decision, saying that the warnings were intended to create an inclusive environment for students of all backgrounds. A university spokesperson stated that even practicing Christians might find some of the medieval views portrayed in the text to be unfamiliar or unsettling.
Critics, however, argue that this approach undermines the academic rigor expected in higher education. Historian Jeremy Black suggested the decision was part of a “tick-box” approach to education, where universities cater more to modern sensibilities than to engaging critically with historical literature.
