Span 406 - The Spanish Symbiosis: Christians, Moors and Jews

Institution:

Washington University in St Louis

Subject:

Description:

This course explores the contributions of Christians, Muslims and Jews in the Spanish peninsula, which led to what historians have called a convivencia (the peaceful and productive coexistence of these groups in medieval Spain), albeit an arrangement that was often troubled and tested. Among the topics studied are the Visigothic kingdom, the "Golden Age" of Muslim and Jewish Spain, the reconquista (reconquest; a series of campaigns by Christian states to recapture territory from the Moors), the age of Alfonso X, the Inquisition, the conquest of the New World, the expulsion of the Jews and the Moríscos (Moors), and the formation of modern Spain. We read historical accounts by Vives, Américo Castro, Benassar. Literary texts in translation include some of the greatest works of the Spanish tradition: The Cid, The Celestina, Galdós's Compassion, Goytisolo's Count Julian, Aridjis's 1492, and excerpts from Fuentes's Terra Nostra, among others. Pertinent films are discussed in class. Prerequisite: reading knowledge of Spanish, Hebrew, or Arabic, or permission of instructor.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.wustl.edu

Phone Number:

(314) 935-5000

Regional Accreditation:

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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