JHIS 1321 - F Jews In Christendom

Abstract

In this course we will explore the experiences of Jews in the Middle Ages in the orbits of Christianity. We will examine Jewish cultural and intellectual developments in the contexts in which they occur as well as study Jewish modes of self government; the legal, social and economic roles played by Jews in medieval Christian cultures; and the attitudes Jews adopted toward those cultures. We will focus on considering the ways in which members of majority and minority cultures in a society interact and how they affect one another. This course aims to explore positive as well as negative encounters between Jews and Christians in the Middle Ages and to consider the changing position of Jews in Christian society along with Jewish responses to those changes. Class discussions are an important component of this course.