HISTORY 356
Body and Blood: Religious Cultures and Conflicts c.50-1650
Please note: this is archived course information from 2017 for HISTORY 356.
Description
‘Body and Blood’ offers an examination of Christianity, Islam and Judaism mainly in the late antique and medieval periods, and considers the conflicts which shaped the three faiths. We will examine the roots of Christian and Muslim religious thinking, their interaction with Jewish and Pagan traditions, the Crusades, aspects of the Jewish-Christian debate, heresy, schisms within Christianity, and developments within Islam.
The course covers a wide span of history, covering aspects of the late Roman, early medieval, high and late medieval periods, and will finish with the Reformation of the sixteenth century and its immediate aftermath. The emphasis is on relations between different religious cultures, and the ways in which both conflict and tolerance shaped their identities.
Broad themes include the impact of changing economic and social forms, the role of authority and government in regulating religious interaction, and the place of gender and sexuality in both moderating and exacerbating conflict.
Although we focus largely on quite distant pasts, most of the topics we will discuss have strong relevance and resonance in the present day. World politics and both western and middle eastern cultures are still shaped by the religious movements which had their beginnings many centuries ago. We hope that through taking the course students will come to a better understanding of modern religious cultures and conflicts.
Availability 2017
Semester 1
Lecturer(s)
Coordinator(s) Dr Lindsay Diggelmann
Professor Kim Phillips
Associate Professor Lisa Bailey
Assessment
Coursework only
Points
HISTORY 356: 15 points
Prerequisites
15 points at Stage II in History and 60 points passed
Restrictions
HISTORY 243
