The Culture of Convivencia: Muslims, Jews, and Christians in Medieval Iberia
ARHA 310
Fall 2011
| Section:
01
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| Crosslisting:
MDST 310, IBST 281, COL 322, HIST 213 |
| Certificates: Jewish and Israel Studies, Middle Eastern Studies |
| Course Cluster: Christianity Studies |
This class will explore the art and culture of the various cultures of medieval Iberia (modern Spain and Portugal) between 711 and 1492. For eight centuries, Muslims, Jews, and Christians lived side by side as neighbors enjoying varying degrees of religious freedom, political autonomy, and mutual well-being. This carefully negotiated state of coexistence was known as convivencia, and, while it ultimately failed, for centuries it allowed each community to maintain its integrity, often thriving, and always surviving.
Using visual evidence and primary sources, we will explore the works produced by the pluralistic societies of medieval Iberia from the perspectives of art, architecture, history, archaeology, literature, and music. We will learn to decode elements such as dress and home decor, food and hygiene, gardening and agriculture, to learn how each community influenced the others and formed blended cultural forms. We will carefully and objectively evaluate their shared experience of convivencia and the mutual cultural affinities and appropriations that developed over the long centuries of coexistence. Finally, we will compare the Iberian experience to our own era of religious encounters and uneasy attempts at tolerance and coexistence on a global, local, and national levels. |
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Essential Capabilities:
Interpretation, Speaking |
| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA ART |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (ARST)(MDST-MN)(MDST)(MDST-Art/Arch)(MDST-History)(MDST-Lang/Lit)(MDST-Phil/Reli)(MEST-MN) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Dodds, Jerrilynn D., María Rosa Menocal, and Abigail Krasner Balbale. THE ARTS OF INTIMACY: CHRISTIANS, JEWS, AND MUSLIMS IN THE MAKING OF CASTILIAN CULTURE. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2008.
Irwin, Robert. THE ALHAMBRA. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2004.
Jayyusi, Salma Khadra, ed. THE LEGACY OF MUSLIM SPAIN. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1992 (repr 1994). Out of print/not available for purchase: we will read several articles taken from this essay collection.
Menocal, María Rosa. ORNAMENT OF THE WORLD: HOW MUSLIMS, JEWS, AND CHRISTIANS CREATED A CULTURE OF TOLERANCE IN MEDIEVAL SPAIN. Boston: Little Brown, 2002.
Selected scholarly articles and essays to be either posted on the Moodle course website or distributed in a course packet.
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Examinations and Assignments:
15% Participation and Attendance
10% Oral Class Presentations
20% Brief Writing Assignments
30% Exams (two)
25% Research Paper |
| Instructor(s): Katz,Melissa R. Times: .M.W... 02:40PM-04:00PM; Location: DAC300; |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 19 | | SR major: 3 | JR major: 4 | | |
| Seats Available: 13 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 4 | JR non-major: 4 | SO: 4 | FR: X |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 1 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 1 |
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