Muslims, Jews, and Christians: Convivencia in Medieval Iberia
ARHA 310
Spring 2019
| Section:
01
|
| Crosslisting:
MDST 310 |
| Certificates: Middle Eastern Studies, Muslim Studies |
| Course Cluster: Christianity Studies |
For eight centuries, Muslims, Jews, and Christians lived side by side as neighbors on the Iberian Peninsula in a carefully negotiated state of coexistence known as "convivencia." While much of the written record is full of enmity, religious polemic, and mutual suspicion, the artistic record tells another version, of lives lived in close proximity giving rise to shared cultural practices, artistic tastes, and long interludes of mutual well-being.
This seminar will explore the works produced by the pluralistic societies of medieval Iberia from the perspectives of art, architecture, history, archaeology, literature, and music. As we study renowned monuments such as the synagogues of Toledo, the Alhambra, and the Way of St. James, we will learn to decode elements such as dress and home decor, food and hygiene, and gardening and agriculture, to expand our picture of culture and lived experience. Finally, we will ask why "convivencia" ultimately failed, and how the medieval Iberian experience can enlighten our own uneasy attempts at building a multicultural, multi-confessional society. |
|
| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA ART |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
|
Fulfills a Requirement for: (ARST)(MDST-MN)(MDST)(MDST-Art/Arch)(MDST-History)(MDST-Lang/Lit)(MDST-Phil/Reli)(MEST-MN) |
|
Past Enrollment Probability: 90% or above |
| 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.
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.
Anonymous. THE SONG OF THE CID (CANTAR DEL MIO CID. Trans. Burton Raffel. New York, 2009.
Selected scholarly articles and essays available on e-reserves
|
Examinations and Assignments:
Active participation, several brief writing assignments/reading responses, oral presentations, and a 15-20 page final research paper |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
Qualified ARHA 310 students may enroll in ARHA 208, the Spanish-language section designed to complement the ARHA 310 curriculum. ARHA 208 is open to intermediate and advanced Spanish learners (SPAN 113 and above), bilingual students, and heritage speakers. ARHA 208 is part of Wesleyan's Cultures and Languages Across the Curriculum (CLAC) initiative; for more information, see https://www.wesleyan.edu/cgs/icc-learning/clac/index.html |
| Instructor(s): Katz,Melissa R. Times: ..T.R.. 02:50PM-04:10PM; Location: BOGH115; |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 16 | | SR major: 4 | JR major: 4 | | |
| Seats Available: 6 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 4 | JR non-major: 4 | SO: 0 | FR: X |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 0 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 0 |
|
|