EXP 1505 - Religious Tolerance and Persecution

Credits: 3

Explorations Courses focus on enduring questions. Enduring questions do not have easy answers; instead, they encourage examination of complex issues from multiple perspectives, introspection, evidence-based arguments, and learning how to respectfully discuss controversial and difficult topics. This course will examine examples of how various pre- modern European societies responded to religious differences in order to better understand the mechanisms of religious tolerance and persecution. Throughout this course we will analyze several instances of religious persecution and violence in pre-modern Europe to try to identify commonalities in the circumstances in which communities found violence acceptable or even desirable. We also will examine instances in which pre-modern European communities valued tolerance and cooperation, and we will study the benefits derived by those groups. The course will culminate in a final project in which students will analyze an instance of religious tolerance or persecution in a pre-modern European society, examining how their case study relates to the patterns we have studied throughout the semester.