The Medieval Iberian Peninsula is well-known as a place for Convivencia, which is commonly understood as the relatively peaceful coexistence between Christians, Jews and Muslims for several centuries within its boundaries. Since its birth in twentieth-century historiographical discourses about the “essence” of Spain, Convivencia has enjoyed a wide circulation among scholars and the general public. Yet its usefulness has also been lately challenged as a means to properly describe the complex relationships between groups, the outbursts of violence and the harsh religious persecution of religious minorities in the period, as well as the cooperation and the networking of members of the three religions across social strata. It also falls short to explain the various processes of knowledge transmission and change such as cultural hybridity, which were produced by particular power relations and by the domination of the religious other. This was the case of the protected minorities of Jews and Muslims who lived in the territories ruled by the Christians until their forced conversions and final expulsions in the Late Medieval and the Early Modern period. In this Seminar we will discuss some key perspectives regarding Convivencia, the articulation of religious difference and the various entanglements between Christian, Jewish and Muslim thought by focusing on two different areas: 1. Convivencia, Transmission of Knowledge and Persecution of Minorities, and 2. The Practice and Heritage of Iberian Religious Disputes. Each area will consist of three sessions, being the core of the second area the literature of polemics against Christianity and Judaism of the Muslim minorities living in the Christian territories. The Seminar aims to make students familiar with the most important scholarly debates and literature on these subjects and to enhance their independent thinking.

קורס מרוכז שישה שבועות מה 27/4/18-1/6/18