CU on the Weekend: Christians, Muslims and Jews in Medieval Spain

Brian Catlos, Professor, Religious Studies

Islamic Spain is variably held up as the arena of civilizational conflict or a land of tolerant diversity and religious harmony. In this two-part talk, Catlos shows us first how much of what we imagine as essential to western civilization actually came to Europe from Islamic culture through al-Andalus or Islamic Spain. Without al-Andalus there would have been no Bob Dylan, and no Bill Gates, not to mention a whole host of cultural, scientific and technical advances. Catlos will also focus on the tale of the Banu Naghrella, a Jewish dynasty of poets, warriors and rabbis, that wielded power in 11th-century Islamic Granada, and whose violent end has been misrepresented as a turning point in Muslim-Jewish relations and as proof positive of a supposed “clash of civilizations.”

Seating: Limited to the first 200 people.

Doors: Open at 12:30 p.m.

Cost: Free

Advanced registration is not required or accepted.

More information: https://www.colorado.edu/outreach/ooe/cu-weekend/christians-muslims-and-jews-medieval-spain