AP/RLST 4803 6.00

Church, Mosque & Synagogue: Jews, Muslims, and Christians in Medieval Spain

This course examines religious, intellectual, and cultural relations between the three faith communities of Christianity, Islam and Judaism. It examines the origins of these religious communities, as expressed through their holy texts, and the ways these faith communities grew and spread through history. Methodologically the course pays special attention to the study of primary sources as an attempt to arrive at a ‘trustworthy’ assessment of complex historical phenomena. Medieval Spain will serve as the key case study in our course in order to examine these  inter-religious relations. The Muslim conquest of the Iberian peninsula in 711 inaugurated a complex tri-religious society that was to endure nearly eight hundred years. This development has given rise to Spain’s designation as a “land of three religions” and Spain’s reputation as premodern western Europe’s foremost “pluralist” society. As such, medieval Spain serves as particularly fascinating setting in which to explore the diverse facets of Jewish-Muslim-Christian co-existence or “dwelling together” (also known as convivencia).

RELIGIOUS TRADITION(S) COVERED: Multiple

Course Category: Self, Society and Other