DRAFT syllabus 10/18/15
History 108
The Crusades: Holy War in the Middle Ages
108 Wartick Lab
Tue., Thu 1:00 - 2:15pm
DRAFT syllabus 10/18/15
Instructor: Jonathan E. Brockopp
406 Weaver, (814) 863-1338
Office hours: TBA
Teaching Assistant: Lauren Golder
118 Pond Lab
Office Hours: Tue., 11:30am - 12:30pm and by appointment
DRAFT syllabus 10/18/15
From a Muslim perspective, the Crusades were hardly a remarkable event: some minor princes from the developing world undertook a series of military adventures, conquering some disputed territory from one of the three the great Muslim empires of that time. From a European perspective, the Crusades were world-changing, yet as we will see, their meaning depended very much on perspective and context. Today, references to the Crusades are ubiquitous, from popular books and films to international diplomacy. Some historians bow to the buzz, producing romanticized visions of the past that appeal to liberal or conservative views of the present. Others take advantage of popular interest to trick readers (or students) into exploring other, lesser-known corners of history.
Happily, this course follows both trends. We will explore the Crusades through campy Hollywood feature films and partisan portrayals of major heroes. We will also expand our vision beyond the military exploits of the elite to examine the more mundane worlds of village, commerce and medicine. Throughout, we will keep track of primary and secondary sources, subjecting both to critical examination.
Organization
This course is unusual as it has two sites - Penn State and Michigan State – and three instructors: Professor Brockopp and doctoral student Lauren Golder at Penn State; and doctoral student Alex Galarza at Michigan State. Together, we will be exploring creative ways to use both high and low tech to make this a rewarding experience for everyone. But it is an experiment – so be prepared to participate and to be patient as we work through the inevitable technological difficulties.
In general, lectures from the instructors will occur simultaneously, with discussion among all students, but we will also break down into smaller groups on a regular basis. For discussion days, clearly marked in the syllabus, students are expected to prepare the section for that day, reading it carefully and making notes. Your participation in class discussion is graded based on quality and quantity of your remarks; a series of quizzes will help you mark your progress. At some point in the semester, everyone will have a chance to lead small-group discussion by preparing a formal response to the assigned readings (see description of the third short paper below). Two unit exams will emphasize vocabulary, geography and other factual information to be sure everyone has mastered the basic tools for further inquiry. A short research paper, due at the end of the course, will provide an opportunity to delve into a specific aspect of the Crusades at length.
Required texts:
Jacques Le Goff / The Birth of EuropeJonathan Harris / Byzantium and the Crusades
Nikolas Jaspert / The Crusades
Jonathan Berkey / The Formation of Islam
Amin Maalouf / The Crusades Through Arab Eyes
Library resources:
The libraries have many primary sources in translation from the Arabic, Latin and Greek; see also the extensive internet resources via the links on special web page designed for this course: sites.psu.edu/crusades
Standard Reference works:
The Encyclopedia of Religion
The Encyclopedia of Islam
Religion Index
Dictionary of the Middle Ages
Cambridge illustrated history of the Middle Ages
The New Cambridge medieval history
Syllabus
January 12 Introduction to class
14 The world of the late antique: 400-600
Berkey, 3-49
19 The early history of Islam: 600-750
Berkey, 50-101
Prepare for discussion: Selections from the Qur’an
Recommended: Rippin, Muslims: their religious beliefs and practices
21 Brockopp, “Jihad and Islamic History” (ON THE WEBSITE)
Prepare for discussion: Selections from Life of the Prophet (ON THE WEBSITE)
26 The early history of Europe: 600-800
LeGoff, 1-48
28 Prepare for discussion: Einhard: Life of Charlemagne (ON THE WEBSITE)
February 2 The Byzantine and Abbasid empires: 750-1073
Harris, 1-51
4 Berkey, 102-175
February 9 Context for the crusades (Europe)
Jaspert, 1-34; LeGoff 49-98
Prepare for discussion: Declaration of Urban II (ON THE WEBSITE)
Recommended: Davis, Writing masculinity in the later Middle Ages
Riley-Smith, Atlas of the Crusades
11 Context for the crusades (Near East) and review
Berkey, 179-183
16 First Unit Exam
18 The first crusades: 1095-1187
Jaspert, 35-50; Harris, 53-71
23 Prepare for discussion: Anna Comena, The Alexiad (ON THE WEBSITE)
25 Prepare for discussion: Excerpts from Maalouf (TBA)
Jaspert, 71-81
Recommended: Riley-Smith, The First Crusade and the idea of Crusading
Runciman, History of the Crusades
March 1 Understanding Saladin
Maalouf, TBA
March 3 Prepare for discussion: Maalouf, TBA
Recommended: Lyons, Saladin
Baha’ al-Din, The rare and excellent history of Saladin
Spring Break!
15 Life in the Crusader states:
Jaspert, 82-113; 144-165
Film: Kingdom of Heaven
17 Remainder of film and discussion
22 Special library research day
(meet in library – location TBA)
24 Byzantium and the Latins
Harris, 73-110
29 Prepare for discussion: Harris, 111-143
31 Byzantium and the fourth crusade, 1201-1204
Harris, 145-185
April 5 Review
7 Second Unit Exam
12 Interlude: Intellectual traditions
Berkey, 184-257; LeGoff , 99-153
April 12 Annotated bibliography on topic of research paper due
14 Prepare for discussion: excerpts from Letters of Medieval Jewish Traders; Autobiography of Avicenna; Ibn Tufayl: Hayy ibn Yaqzan (ON THE WEBSITE)
Recommended: French, Medicine before science: the rational and learned doctor from the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment Pormann/Savage-Smith, Medieval Islamic Medicine; Goitein, A Mediterranean Society
Stuard, Women in medieval history & historiography
19 Crusades in Europe
Jaspert, 114-143
Film: Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves.
Recommended: LeGoff, 154-201
21 End of the Crusades
Jaspert, 50-71; 166-171
26-28 Reading period [Discussion of research papers]
May 4 Final research paper due
Course Requirements
Two unit exams, one formal response paper (2 pages) on assigned topics, research paper (including annotated bibliography) and attendance. The papers are to be double-spaced with 1-inch margins all around. Please include page numbers and a title page with your name and my name (imaginative titles are optional). Correct prose, spelling, punctuation, etc. are presumed. Please make use of the many resources on the website that accompanies this course; there are also copious library resources. The response paper is a critical source analysis of a text assigned for class discussion; it is due on the day of discussion and is to be read in class. The research paper should be around 10 pages based on a topic to be determined in consultation with the instructor. There is no final exam.
Grading Policy
The requirements for the course will be weighted as follows: two unit exams (25% each), final research paper (30%), participation (including quizzes and response paper, 20%); missed quizzes cannot be made up, though I will drop your lowest grade in my final calculations. The submission of all assigned written work is required to complete the course. For quantifiable data, 93 to 100 = A; 90 to 92.9 = A-; 87 to 89.9 = B+; 83 to 86.9 = B; 80 to 82.9 = B-; 77 to 79.9 = C+; 70 to 76.9 = C; 60 to 69.9 = D and 59.9 and below = F. There is no curve. Paper grades are translated to numbers as follows: A = 95; A- = 92.5; B+ = 87.5; B = 85; B- = 82.5; C+ = 77.5 C = 75; D = 65 and F = 59.
Attendance Policy
Attendance is required and counts toward your participation grade. For those students who miss a class or two, please make your own arrangements for securing class notes, copies of hand-outs and other materials. Missing more than two classes will have a deleterious effect on your ability to follow lectures and class discussions; it will also reduce your participation grade. Extraordinary circumstances will be considered; please see me during office hours or after class.
Academic Integrity
The Pennsylvania State University defines academic integrity as the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest and responsible manner. All students should act with personal integrity, respect other students’ dignity, rights and property, and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of their efforts (Faculty Senate Policy 49-20).
Dishonesty of any kind will not be tolerated in this course. Dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarizing, fabricating information or citations, facilitating acts of academic dishonesty by others, having unauthorized possession of examinations, submitting work of another person or work previously used without informing the instructor, or tampering with the academic work of other students. Students who are found to be dishonest will receive academic sanctions and will be reported to the University’s Judicial Affairs office for possible further disciplinary sanction. Please see the instructor if you have any questions on this policy.
Disability Access Statement
The Pennsylvania State University encourages qualified people with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities and is committed to the policy that all people shall have equal access to programs, facilities, and admissions without regard to personal characteristics not related to ability, performance, or qualifications as determined by University policy or by state or federal authorities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation in this course or have questions about physical access, please tell the instructor as soon as possible.