History 460: Medieval Terrorism, Opportunism, or Acts of Love? A Study of Crusade Historiography Course Description Course Objectives Course Texts

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1 History 460: Medieval Terrorism, Opportunism, or Acts of Love? A Study of Crusade Historiography Th 1:00-2:50; Lewis Center 102A Joseph J. Reidy, Department of History Office Hours: M/W 11-12; Th 12:00-12:50 and by appointment Contact: jreidy@oberlin.edu; Rice 307 Course Description: Whether criticized as examples of intolerance or used in the rhetoric of conservative religious and political leaders in the United States, the terms crusade and crusaders continue to carry significance. Yet how many who use the term realize its history or the historiographical debate over how we should interpret the terminology, motives, and deeds of the crusading era? In this course, students explore the way the crusades have been interpreted by historians from the eleventh century to the twentieth-first and learn to discern how historical interpretations not only describe the past but also shed light on contemporary attitudes and perspectives. Course Objectives: This course has two complementary objectives. First, students read scholarly works that address a variety of crusading subjects. Since this course assumes a familiarity with the general narrative of the crusades, these readings are opportunities to deepen our awareness and understanding of specific events and themes. Second, the same readings highlight historiographical difficulties and disputes faced by contemporary historians of the crusades. By the end of the semester, students possess a heightened awareness of the malleable legacy of the crusades, the historiographical challenges they present, and how we continue to redefine (or reject) the crusades according to contemporary society s values. Course Texts: Jonathan Riley-Smith, What Were the Crusades? S.J. Allen and Emilie Amt, The Crusades: A Reader, 2 nd edition Thomas Madden, ed., The Crusades: The Essential Readings Thomas Madden, The New Concise History of the Crusades (recommended) Course Assignments: Participation (35%) 3-page Book Review of What Were the Crusades? (10%) Weekly Analysis Papers (20%) 4,000-4,500-word Historiography Paper/Presentation (35%) Participation: Over one-third of the class grade depends upon participation. To earn the best score possible for participation, one should 1) attend class regularly; 2) avoid cell phone use and any noncurricular computer use while in class (N.B.: points will be deducted for each intentional use that distracts from the classroom discussion); 3) read all of the assigned documents for that week. When reading these works, be careful to recognize both the thesis of the author and the sources that the historian is employing in order to prove that particular interpretation of the past. Assess whether you believe these sources and the historian s interpretation of them to be 1

2 convincing and be able to articulate why/why not. Finally, it is imperative that each student come to class prepared to speak. In order to facilitate this, students at random will be called upon the lead part of that week s discussion. Nota Bene: Open discussion and the exchange of ideas and reactions are crucial to a proper educational environment. Sometimes situations may arise when the class would benefit from interacting with ideas outside of those presented by the class participants. At these moments, in order to facilitate discussion and critical thinking, the instructor may at times propose ideas or perspectives intended to generate reaction and discussion. These comments are not to be construed as reflecting the instructor s personal beliefs or positions. They should also not be construed as imposing any preferred course of thought on the class participants. What Were the Crusades? Book Review: The three-page book review should demonstrate that the student has not only read the work but also considered and evaluated its underlying assumptions and evidence. This process should continue to inform the students interaction with the readings for this course, both primary and secondary. Students should strive to read critically for a deeper understanding of their content, and the initial book review is an initial opportunity to assess that skill. Questions that may help guide this process follow: 1) What are the aims and objectives of the author? 2) What is the tone of the reading? (Polemic, detached, scholarly, etc.) 3) What are the weaknesses and strengths in the reading s argument? What evidence does the author present to support the paper s position? 4) Do you believe the author s conclusions would have been convincing to the targeted audience? 5) How does this reading relate to the other material in the class? Analysis Paper: Beginning with Week 3, students will choose one of the primary source readings and write a description of its content and how it applies to a particular article or the theme for that week. This should be no longer than one page. These will be graded on a check, check plus, check minus, and 0 scale. Historiography Paper: Students will choose a topic of their choice related to the crusades and present a 4,500-word paper identifying and summarizing important scholarship on that topic. Students are free to incorporate articles and readings that are already assigned for the class, but these should be joined to a number of other sources in order to create an insightful argument regarding the chosen topic. This paper should incorporate a minimum of eight academic sources (four of which should be scholarly monographs) on the topic of their choice when researching for this assignment. Suggestions for topics are below. Students will present their findings on the last day of class. These presentations should be minutes long and may incorporate any resources (powerpoints, handouts, etc) that the student believes will enhance the presentation. N.B.: A historiography paper is not original research; rather it collects information about others research and looks at general trends in the discipline of history. 2

3 Guidelines for Written Assignments: Plagiarism is a serious issue in the scholarly community; if there are any questions (either general or specific) please consult the instructor before submitting any assignments. Once assignments are formally submitted, it will be too late for any amendments in regards to plagiarized material. Please do not hesitate to ask questions and seek clarity. For purposes of this class, all citations and bibliographic information should be recorded according the Chicago Manual of Style. N.B.: The names and Honor Pledge should be written on the back of any assignment turned in to the instructor. This way, the instructor can blind grade the assignments and avoid any unconscious bias. Academic Etiquette and Honesty: All participants in the course (including the instructor) are expected to communicate with others in a respectful manner. s to the instructor, for example, should begin with a salutation, such as Dear Mr. Reidy, and end with the writer s name for identification purposes. Avoid colloquial, informal language and abbreviations ( hey, BTW, etc). The instructor will return s during normal working hours as promptly as possible (usually within 24 hours). Students should know the honor code (see and write the Honor Pledge on all material submitted to the instructor for evaluation. Contact the instructor if you have any questions regarding this. Course Topics: Week 1: August 29-September 2 Introduction to the Crusades/Review of Narrative Optional Reading: For those who wish to review the era of crusades, please consult Thomas Madden s The New Concise History of the Crusades Week 2: September 5-9 Discussion of What Were the Crusades? Madden: Christopher Tyerman, Were There Any Crusades in the Twelfth Century? BB: J.M. Jensen, Peregrinatio sive expeditio: Why the First Crusade was not a Pilgrimage Allen & Amt: 1, 2, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12 3-page book review of What Were the Crusades? is due. Week 3: September Crusading as an Act of Greed? Madden: Jonathan Riley-Smith, Early Crusaders to the East and the Costs of Crusading, ; Marcus Bull, The Roots of Lay Enthusiasm for the First Crusade ; Giles Constable, Medieval Charters as a Source for the History of the Crusades ; John France, Patronage and the Appeal of the First Crusade BB: Benjamin Kedar, The Passenger List of a Crusader Ship, 1250: Towards the History of the Popular Element on the Seventh Crusade Allen & Amt: 6, 9, 16, 19, 21, 52, 53, 72, 73, 74 Week 4: September Crusading as Anti-Semitism Madden: H.E.J. Cowdrey, Pope Urban II s Preaching of the First Crusade 3

4 BB: Ivan G. Marcus, From Politics to Martyrdom: Shifting Paradigms in the Hebrew Narratives of the 1096 Crusading Riots ; Shmuel Shepkaru, The Preaching of the First Crusade and the Persecutions of the Jews ; Riley-Smith, The First Crusade and the Persecution of the Jews Allen & Amt: 13, 14, 32, 46, 48, 74, 82, 83, 90, 107 Week 5: September Muslim Perspectives Madden: Nikita Elisséff, The Reaction of the Syrian Muslims after the Foundation of the First Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem ; Benjamin Z. Kedar, The Subjected Muslims of the Frankish Levant BB: Carole Hillenbrand, Jihad Poetry in the Age of the Crusades ; Helen Nicholson, Muslim Reactions to the Crusades ; Niall Christie, Religious Campaign or War of Conquest?: Muslim Views of the Motives of the First Crusade Allen & Amt: 3, 4, 7, 22, 23, 30, 31, 33, 42, 103 Week 6: October 3-7 Crusading and Eastern Christians Madden: Steven Runciman, Byzantium and the Crusades BB: Angeliki Laiou, Byzantium and the Crusades in the Twelfth Century: Why was the Fourth Crusade Late in Coming ; Eleni Sakellariou, Byzantine and Modern Greek Perceptions of the Crusades ; Ralph-Johannes Lilie, The Crusades and Byzantium ; Brett Whalen, God s Will or Not? Bohemond s Campaign Against the Byzantine Empire ( ); Chryssa Maltezou, The Greek Version of the Fourth Crusade: From Niketas Choniates to the History of the Greek Nation Allen & Amt: 11, 15, 16, 20, 39, 58, 59, 95 Week 7: October Crusades, Medieval Spirituality, and Acts of Love Madden: Jonathan Riley-Smith, Crusading as an Act of Love BB: Christoph T. Maier, Crisis, Liturgy and the Crusade in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries ; G. Dickson, The Flagellants of 1260 and the Crusades ; M.C. Gaposchkin, The Place of the Crusades in the Sanctification of Saint Louis ; C. Matthew Phillips, Crucified with Christ: The Imitation of the Crucified Christ and Crusading Spirituality Allen & Amt: 6, 27, 29, 30, 32, 35, 37, 44, 49, 50, 51, 54, 56, 100 Fall Recess (No Classes October 15-23) Week 8: October Crusaders and the Other Madden: Norman Housley, Crusades Against Christians: Their Origins and Early Development, c BB: Peter Frankopan, Perception and Projection of Prejudice: Anna Comnena, the Alexiad, and the First Crusade ; Lucy-Anne Hunt, Excommunicata generatione: Christian Imagery of Mission and Conversion of the Muslim Other between the First Crusade and the Early Fourteenth Century ; Marcus Bull, Views of Muslims and Jerusalem in Miracle Stories ; Joshua Birk, Imagining the Enemy: Southern Italian Perceptions of Islam at the Time of the First Crusade ; Margaret Jubb, The Crusaders Perceptions of Their Opponents 4

5 Allen and Amt: 8, 51, 60, 61, 67, 71, 75, 108 Week 9: October 31-November 4 Gender and Crusading BB: Natasha Hodgson, The Role of Kerbogha s Mother in the Gesta Francorum and Selected Chronicles of the First Crusade ; D. Hay, Gender Bias and Religious Intolerance in Accounts of the Massacres of the First Crusade ; M. Bennett, Virile Latins, Effeminate Greeks and Strong Women: Gender Definitions on Crusade? ; Keren Caspri-Reisfeld, Women Warriors during the Crusades, ; Deborah Garish, Gender Theory ; Rasa Mazeika, Nowhere was the Fragility of their Sex Apparent : Women Warriors in the Baltic Crusade Chronicles Allen & Amt: 1, 15, 36, 50, 54, 55, 56, 62, 84 Week 10: November 7-11 Historical Memory and the Crusades Madden: R. A. Fletcher, Reconquest and Crusade in Spain, c ; BB: Megan Cassidy-Welch and Anne Lester, Memory and Interpretation: New Approaches to the Study of Crusades ; Anne Lester, What Remains: Women, Relics and Remembrance in the Aftermath of the Fourth Crusade ; Christopher MacEvitt, True Romans: Remembering the Crusades Among Eastern Christians ; M. Cecilia Gaposchkin, The Echoes of Victory: Liturgical and Para-Liturgical Commemorations of the Capture of Jerusalem in the West Allen & Amt: 56, 57, 71, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 109, 110 Week 11: November Crusading as an Early Modern Phenomenon BB: Colin Imber, The Crusade of Varna, : What Motivated the Crusaders? ; G. Scott Davis, Angles of Influence: Jihad and Just War in Early Modern Spain ; Brinda Charry, Martyrdom and Modernity: The Discourse of Holy War in the Works of John Foxe and Francis Bacon ; A. Nuri Yurdusev, Ottoman Conceptions of War and Peace in the Classical Period Week 12: November Crusades in Contemporary Rhetoric and Political Ideology BB: Matthias Determann, The Crusades in Arab School Textbooks ; Heather Sharkey, Jihads and Crusades in Sudan from 1881 to the Present ; Jean Richard, National Feeling and the Legacy of the Crusades ; Jonathan Riley-Smith, Islam and the Crusades in History and Imagination, November September 2001 Allen & Amt: 101, 102, 104, 105, 108, 109 N.B.: Students will be expected to each bring in and discuss at least one example of contemporary interpretations of the crusades from, for example, world leaders, news agencies, and blogs. Week 13: November 28-December 2 Discussion of Cecil B. DeMille s The Crusades, Youssef Chahine s Saladin the Victorious, and Ridley Scott s Kingdom of Heaven N.B.: A time convenient for most (and hopefully all) will be arranged for those who would like to watch the movie(s) as a group. If everyone is able to come, the viewing/following discussion will also double as the class meeting for the week. Week 14: December 5-9 Presentations 5

6 Suggested Topics for the Historiography Paper: Below are some suggestions (in no particular order) for historiographical topics. Student may choose one of the below or another of their own preference. Gender and the Crusades The Definition of Crusade Modern Perceptions of Crusades Crusades against Heretics Eleanor of Aquitaine Violence in Crusades The Jewish Response to the Crusades Crusade Vs. Jihad Louis IX of France Frederick II Hohenstaufen The Last Crusade Preaching in the Crusade Innocent III The Albigensian Crusade The Children s and Shepherds Crusades Crusade Military Orders (Teutonic Knights, the Knights Templar, etc) 6