RELS 243 Iberia: Land of Three Religions

The confluence of three religious faiths in one land—Christian, Jewish, and Muslim communities in the Iberian Peninsula—was a unique situation in Western Europe during the Middle Ages (415-1492 CE). In this course, we will pay special attention to the interaction of these religious communities, their conflict and their cooperation.  Students will develop a sophisticated understanding of the cultural and religious settings that gave rise to religious pluralism, and students will become familiar with some of the most important debates about religion – especially ideologies of tolerance and persecution – that have continued to fuel inter-faith relations into the twenty-first century.