Interfaith Relations in Spain

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

This Magis course will address three interwoven issues. What is Spain? How and when does the country that goes by that name actually assume a distinct and recognizable identity as such and what are the salient features that make up that identity? How have Christianity, Judaism and Islam emerged and evolved in what has, over the centuries, become “Spain”? How have these three faiths articulated themselves within themselves and with regard to each other, conceptually, across the history and geography of Iberia? How has the shaping of “Spain” against the backdrop and within the context of the evolution of faith yielded and been expressed by the visual, literary and musical arts—from the Caves of Altamira to the architecture of churches and cathedrals, mosques and synagogues, to the canvasses of Picasso? The address of these issues offers a rich interweave of history and the cultural and spiritual elements that add sinew and flesh to the bone structure provided by the politics of events—with implications relevant to an understanding of Spain and its place within the world in the twenty-first century. As participants in a Magis course, we will spend the first half of the semester in the classroom and focus on history, religion, and culture by way of readings and images, before spending spring break moving across Spain, from Barcelona and Girona, to Granada, Cordova, and Toledo, to Madrid, amplifying our understanding of this multi-valent through diverse encounters with its people and places.