SPN 434 - Christians, Jews and Muslims: Cultural Exchanges in Early Modern Spain and “Converso” Culture in the Americas

Course Units: 1

(Not offered 2014-15) This course will examine significant moments in Spain’s seven centuries of multicultural history (711-1492), the achievements produced by the “convivencia” or “coexistence” of Muslims, Jews and Christians (in language, literature, music, science, technology, etc.), and how Spanish identity has been shaped by the interplays of the three groups. It will also identify elements of these multicultural encounters, carried over to the Americas in later centuries, through a wide range of writings from New World travelers, ¨converso¨ dramatists, Ladino ballads, and the like. Finally, it will explore the resonances of the Sephardic and Muslim-Spanish experiences in contemporary movies, music and literature of Spain and the Americas. Prerequisite(s): Two 300-level courses. CC: HUL, LCCS