CFP: Communal Identity at Borders of Faith, Leeds IMC 2020 (6–9 July 2020), deadline 20 September 2019

Conference: Iberian (In)tolerance: Minorities, Cultural Exchanges and Social Exclusion in the Middle Ages and Early Modern Era, London, November 8–9, 2018

Venue: Senate House, Bedford Room 37 (8th Nov); Bush House, KCL S2.01 and Instituto Cervantes (9th Nov)

Keynote speakers: Prof Trevor Dadson and Dr Alexander Samson

During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, minorities in the Iberian peninsula experienced both peaceful coexistence and, at times, violent intolerance. But despite restrictions, persecutions, and forced conversions, extensive cultural production and exchange among Jews, Christians and Muslims defined the life in towns and cities across the centuries, particularly in Al-Andalus. In this context of religious (in)tolerance, the question of limpieza de sangre (blood purity) played an important role in preventing newly converted Christians from occupying high social positions. Recent approaches have highlighted how the question of limpieza de sangre was not only a matter of anti-Judaism or hostility towards Jews and Moors, but was also driven by personal enmity, ambition, and political interest. Also relevant are a series of political decisions concerning minorities, such as conversos or moriscos, which appeared in the two first decades of the seventeenth century and deeply affected the social climate of the time. This is reflected in literary works from the period, when a number of prominent pieces dealt directly with the issues raised by the political reforms. While some of the decisions are very well studied, such as the expulsion of the moriscos in 1609 and 1610, others such as the issue of the Pardons, in which the both Duke of Lerma and the Count-Duke of Olivares were involved, are less well known. It is clear that these circumstances affected the lives of many authors, their poetic trajectories and determined their voices and their works.

Click here for a full programme and here to book tickets

Organisers: Roser López Cruz (King’s College London) and Virginia Ghelarducci (School of Advanced Study)

Conference website: https://iberianintolerance.com

Call for Papers: Iberian (In)tolerance (8 November: London)

Paper proposals are being accepted for “Iberian (In)tolerance: Minorities, Cultural Exchanges, and Social Exclusion in the Middle Ages and Early Modern Era,” an LAHP Funded Postgraduate Students-led Conference to be held at Senate House, Bedford Room 37, University College, London.

Keynotes speakers include Prof. Trevor Dadson (Queen Mary University) and Prof. Alexander Samson (UCL)
Submission deadline: 20 June 2018

During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, minorities in the Iberian peninsula experienced both peaceful coexistence and, at times, violent intolerance. But despite restrictions, persecutions, and forced conversions, extensive cultural production and exchange among Jews, Christians and Muslims defined the life in towns and cities across the centuries, particularly in Al-Andalus. In this context of religious (in)tolerance, the question of limpieza de sangre (blood purity) played an important role in preventing newly converted Christians from occupying high social positions. Recent approaches have highlighted how the question of limpieza de sangre was not only a matter of anti-Judaism or hostility towards Jews and Moors, but was also driven by personal enmity, ambition, and political interest. Also relevant are a series of political decisions concerning minorities, such as conversos or moriscos, which appeared in the two first decades of the seventeenth century and deeply affected the social climate of the time. This is reflected in literary works from the period, when a number of prominent pieces dealt directly with the issues raised by the political reforms. While some of the decisions are very well studied, such as the expulsion of the moriscos in 1609 and 1610, others such as the issue of the Pardons, in which the both Duke of Lerma and the Count-Duke of Olivares were involved, are less well known. It is clear that these circumstances affected the lives of many authors, their poetic trajectories and determined their voices and their works.
We invite proposals for papers in English (15-20 minutes) that explore the relationships among Jews, Christians and Muslims in the Iberian Peninsula from the Middle Ages to the 17th century and how these relationships changed over time, as represented in literary works that mirrored and were influenced by the particular socio-political dynamics of the period.
Possible topics include, but are not limited to:
• Literature and minorities: Conversos, New Christians, Marranos, Moriscos.
• Literature and tolerance, convivencia
, cultural exchanges.
• Literature and legality: statutes of limpieza de sangre (blood purity), blood libel, Pardons of 1609 and 1627, Duke of Lerma, Duke of Olivares.
• Literature beyond the Iberian Peninsula, Spanish identity in France, the Netherlands, Portugal, etc.

Send your proposal here

Candidates will be notified by the 15^th of July 2018.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us here: iberianintolerance@gmail.com.

Organisers:
• Roser López Cruz (King’s College London)
• Virginia Ghelarducci (School of Advanced Study)

New Online Course: MOOC Burgos: Deciphering Secrets of Medieval Spain

Roger Martinez is pleased to announce the launch of a new Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) that specifically focuses on medieval Spanish paleography training. The course is called Burgos: Deciphering Secrets of Medieval Spain and it will be offered on a monthly basis on coursera.org at https://www.coursera.org/learn/burgos-deciphering-secrets-medieval-spain. The next class begins on 9 April 2018. This six-week course is intensive — it requires, on average, 10-12 hours of your time per week.

This is the first of three new MOOCs that offer intensive paleography training. Three additional MOOCs pertaining to the medieval/early modern history of Toledo, Plasencia, and Granada, will be launched over the next 3 to 9 months. These courses are in addition to an introductory course on medieval Spain titled, Coexistence in Medieval Spain: Jews, Christians, and Muslims, and another titled, Deciphering Secrets: The Illuminated Manuscripts of Medieval Europe.

Course Description: 
This advanced course focuses on two primary goals: (1) appraising how Jews, Christians, and Muslims shaped the history of medieval Spain and (2) mastering the craft of Spanish paleography, the skill of identifying Spanish handwriting in the 11th- through 15th-century manuscripts. Through the lens of the medieval history of Burgos, we dedicate 75% percent of our efforts to developing pragmatic expertise in the interpretation of Carolingian/French/Gothic handwriting.

Specifically, the course explores how the royal Castilian city of Burgos influenced, and was influenced by, Jews, Christians, and Muslims. We closely evaluate the Spanish Christian Reconquest, the Plague and the 14th-century Castilian civil war, anti-Jewish pogroms, the emergence of elite conversos (Jewish converts to Christianity), and the role of the king and Roman Catholic Church in the creation of Catholic Spain. Through onsite interviews in archives and museums in Burgos, we experience the medieval city, artifacts, and manuscripts. While we teach using Spanish manuscripts, very little or no knowledge of the Spanish language is necessary to complete the course.

Using an intensive array of paleography practices, exams, independent projects, and collaborative efforts, you will garner exceptional skills that you can apply to interpreting any medieval European handwriting. To demonstrate your mastery of paleography you will (1) create a 14th-15th-century alphabet, numeral, and abbreviation guide using manuscript images, and (2) transcribe one selection from a medieval manuscript.

Inquiries: rogerlmartinez@gmail.com