Rel Pluralism: Medieval Iberia

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

In recent decades, medieval Iberia has emerged as a leading model of religious interaction, cooperation, and coexistence. This course will explore the complex religious and cultural relationship between Iberian Christians, Muslims and Jews in light of contemporary theories of religious pluralism. This course will treat the three religions of medieval Iberia as living communities rather than abstract ideological systems, and analyze the way in which their interaction with one another helped to shape the internal development and identity of each. In discussing themes such as conversion, mysticism and messianic fervor, this course will pay special attention to the shifting power dynamic between minority and majority cultures over the course of the Middle Ages.