Abrahamic Faiths in the Middle Ages*

Reading (in order, required):

Goodman, Rome and Jerusalem

Kessler, An Introduction to Jewish Christian Relations

Yehoshua, A Journey to the End of the Millennium

Toland, Saracens

Menocal, Ornament of the World

Lewis, Jews of Islam

Goitein, A Mediterranean Society

Nederman, Worlds of Difference

Lewis, Cultures in Conflict

Attendance in class is required. If you know you will be unable to attend a class session please inform the professor in advance. Missing two sessions will result in an automatic lowering of your final grade by 10%.  Missing three or more sessions will result in automatic failure of the course.

Assessment Expectations: The grading will be based on participation in class discussion, leading one week of discussion with a write up of the discussion, and a controlled research paper (10-15 pages) using a group of primary sources or a study of current scholarship on a particular issue.

Office Hours: By appointment

Background Reading:

Elukin, Living Together/Living Apart: Rethinking Jewish-Christian Relations in the Middle Ages

Silverstein, Islamic History: A Very Short Introduction

Wickham, Inheritance of Rome

Jordan, Europe in the High Middle Ages

Schedule

Week 1            1/23

Intro: Web resources, books, etc. Internet Medieval and Jewish History Sourcebook

Discussion of Rome, Jewish Second Temple period and Christianity (varieties)

Week 2            1/30

Goodman, Rome and Jerusalem

Selected texts, Tacitus on the Jews, Justinian’s laws, Severus of Minorca

Week 3            2/06    

Kessler, Introduction to Jewish Christian Relations

Selected texts, Gregory of Tours’ Histories, Carolingian letters, Rudiger’s charter

Week 4            2/13

Yehoshua, Journey to the End of the Millennium

Week 5            2/20

Lewis, Jews of Islam

Essays on convivencia

Week  6           2/27

Goitein, Mediterranean Society

Week 7            3/06

Tolan, Saracens

Week 8            3/13

Menocal, Ornament of the World

Week 9            3/20

Nederman, Worlds of Difference

Week 10          3/27 No Class Vacation

Week 11          4/03

Visit to Trinity’s Watkinson Library

Week 12          4/10

Christians, Jews and Muslims in the early modern world

Week 13          4/17

Enlightenment traditions about Christians, Jews and Muslims

Week 14          4/24

Medieval traditions in modern interfaith relations

Week 15          5/01 Presentation of research drafts

Week 16          5/08 Writing Week