Module description
With the emergence of colonialism and the European Enlightenment, Europe and the “Orient” were increasingly seen as two spheres that, although interconnected, stood in complete opposition to each other. What did this mean for European Jews? On the one hand they had lived in Europe for centuries, on the other hand they were now depicted as “Orientals”, and, to make things even more complex, their diaspora networks spread across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. European Jews responded to the powerful idea of a “Jewish Orient” in many different ways, and their responses had a profound impact on how they understood their presence in Europe, their history and future as a nation (Zionism), and their religious commitments. In this module, we will ask:
- What is a diaspora?
- What is “Orientalism”?
- How did the notions of “Europe” and the “Orient” emerge, and how did European Jews take them up and transform them to define their place among European nation states and in the Jewish diaspora?
- How do Jewish-Christian-Muslim relations and the connected histories of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa figure in new approaches to the study of religion (whether in sociology, anthropology, literary studies, history or religious studies)?
- How do scholars, artists and writers today propose to move beyond “Orientalism” and related divisive concepts and practices?
For more information please refer to the module description.
Assessment details
Coursework: 1 x 4000 word essay
Teaching pattern
Two-hour weekly classes over ten weeks.