Section Overview / Theme

This course is a Seminar. That means that instead of relying on lectures delivered by the instructor, the course focuses more on key readings in the field and our discussion of the material/themes/debates covered by those readings. For a medieval topic with such modern-day ramifications as the Crusades, we will have no shortage of material that is being contested by specialist historians as well as popular groups and media. Student participation is therefore key to class success. It is incumbent on students not merely to “do” the reading, but to consider the issues and wider debates being supported or rebutted by the readings.

The very topic of religious war hardly needs an introduction, as if the matter's importance had escaped our notice... especially if you're signed up for this course. That said, here are a few words anyway. Religion and warfare have been put in the service of each other seemingly since the earliest human societies. One of the more fascinating wrinkles, though, came in how Christianity, anchored in the Gospel texts to a mostly pacifistic outlook, changed its relationship with power and force over the centuries after it became a dominant worldview. The co-evolution of faith and violence proceeded by fits and starts, but by the mid-eleventh century, the elements fell into place for that became the Crusades. Those wars, once launched, fulfilled some wishes and triggered countless unforeseen results. This course means to explore both those outcomes, as well as considering the point of view of those targeted by the Crusades.

It’s a lot to cover, as you'll see in the diverse topics below. But I fully anticipate that you’ll find the investment of your time and effort amply rewarded by the discussions we will have, not simply about the factual narrative, but more so by the search for the significance—then and now—of these events.

Section Goals/Objectives

The goals (or should I say fruits?) of a history course are as numerous as the books which historians produce. Some have already been hinted at above. At the broadest level, though, historical study encourages and hones critical analysis of the questions which most concern us. And these issues are themselves countless, but in the most generic terms, they mostly center on the relations of people with one another, with themselves, and (in this course) with the rightness/wrongness of religiously motivated violence. We will be asking “why?” rather a lot:  Why did they think that? Why did they assume such a thing? Why does the past appear simultaneously alien and similar? Even as we ask these questions, others lie implicitly underneath: Why do I think what I think? What are my prejudices and assumptions? How do present-day presumptions sway my conclusions?

We will be asking the above questions, all while studying the intersection of cultures, belief-systems, and armed forces from the Mediterranean to southern France to the Baltic shores of northern Europe. Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the basic narrative of the Crusading era
• Have learned to work with medieval primary sources (identifying agendas, contemporaneity, and related traits)
• Have built independent analyses of historical problems and situated them within the historiographical traditions
• Have developed skills in the oral presentation and defense of their own scholarship

Grading & Assignments

♦ EXAMS:  There will be two exams: a mid-term and a final. More information about the structure of the exams will be provided as we approach them, but students can be sure that there will be significant essay components. The Mid-term will count for 20% of the course grade and the Final for 20%.

♦ QUIZZES:  At random points in the semester, I will give a small quiz designed to make certain that you have not become a zombie—in other words, to ensure that you're doing the assigned readings. Thus, each quiz will focus only on the reading assigned for the day when the quiz occurs. The lowest of these grades will be jettisoned in the final computation of grades so that the remaining ones will be worth 10% of the final grade.

♦ PAPERS:  There will be a major research paper produced in the course of this seminar.  To assist you in this effort, we have a number of preparatory assignments scattered throughout the semester.  These are important steps, not busywork. For many of you, they will provide early warning of whether you want to pursue a topic or shift to something else.  In sum, these early tasks will be worth 5% of the course grade. The paper itself (10 pages, Chicago Style, more details to come in Canvas) will be worth 20% of the course grade.

NOTE:  In formal writing assignments, there will be little tolerance for grammatical errors and all other transgressions which a simple proofreading should catch. Remove these yourself so I won’t have to remove hard-earned points. Remember, the spell-checker is not your friend! For further guidance, consult my General Policies, plus the Writing and Plagiarism Guides. Also, beware my list of Homonym Crimes. These are multiple, automatic grade deductions, and they can add up viciously. Students who demonstrate a clear disregard for good advice and the basic requirements of the assignment will have their work returned to be redone, minus a letter-grade. And of course, plagiarism (as I apparently cannot emphasize enough) is an automatic failure for the entire course.

♦ IN-CLASS WORK:  Because this is a seminar-style course, I cannot stress enough how important this element is. Do the readings in advance and come to class prepared to discuss them. Come with your own questions, not just as respondents to the professor's prompts. (25%)

♦ AND THE REST... Be certain to read my General Policies page as well for further information on how your performance in the course will be assessed (late work, absences, etc.).

Schedule of Lectures/Assignments

You will need to read at the times indicated below for the maximum benefit during our lectures and discussions. Readings are to be done before you come to class. The information provided by that text will do much to color in the background of the points I will be stressing either by lecture or posing questions to you. If the indicated readings are not one of our 5 required books, or active links to the Web, then look for them in the course Canvas site. Recall, as well, that it is a standard, minimum expectation for university education that students will spend “2 hours outside of class working and studying for every 1 hour spent in class,” as Longwood itself stipulates. Our readings here have been designed accordingly.

Date	Topic	Reading Assignment
26 Aug	Introduction: Go over course syllabus	Study the professor's policies.
28 Aug	Crusades: Defining them (or not)	Excerpt from Housley (in Canvas)
30 Aug	Preludes: Holy War	Rubenstein, 1-4, 27-35
4 Sept	Preludes: Holy Land	Rubenstein, 4-9, 36-61
6 Sept	Launching the Crusade	Rubenstein, 9-14, 62-83
9 Sept	The Byzantine Business	Rubenstein, 14-16, 84-102
11 Sept	Antioch Paper Topic Proposal Due	Rubenstein, 16-20, 103-134
13 Sept	Jerusalem	Rubenstein, 20-24, 135-155
16 Sept	JR-S and Crusade Studies	Riley-Smith, 1-22
18 Sept	The Pilgrimage Angle	Riley-Smith, 23-52
20 Sept	The Role of the Preachers	Riley-Smith, 53-80
23 Sept	Logistics and Preparations	Riley-Smith, 106-43
25 Sept	Homecoming(s) Second Proposal Due	Riley-Smith, 144-68
27 Sept	Legacies in Western Europe	Riley-Smith, 169-95
30 Sept	Rise of the Military Orders (in the East)	Accounts of the Templars’ Origins Letter from (possibly) Hugh de Payns Excerpts from De laude novae militiae
2 Oct	Rise of the Military Orders (in the West)	Forey, Chapter 4
4 Oct	Life in Outremer	Boas, “Domestic Life," (Ch. 30) in The Crusader World
7 Oct	Muslim Resurgence & Rivalries	Ibn Munqidh, 11-44
9 Oct	A Muslim Point of View?	Ibn Munqidh, 45-76
11 Oct	Mid-Term Exam
14 Oct	Fall Break
16 Oct	Aristocratic Values Preliminary Bibliography Due	Ibn Munqidh, 76-108
18 Oct	A Twelfth-Century Sense of Wonder	Ibn Munqidh, 108-143
21 Oct	Reflections of an Seasoned Warrior	Ibn Munqidh, 143-180
23 Oct	The Second Crusade	Giles Constable, "The Second Crusade as Seen by Contemporaries" In Traditio 9 (1953): 213-279.
25 Oct	Women & Crusading	Nicholson, “Women’s Involvement in the Crusades,” in The Crusader World, ed. Adrian Boas Maier, “The roles of women in the crusade movement: a survey,” in Journal of Medieval History 30 (2004), 61-82
28 Oct	Rise of Saladin	Ibn al-Athir, 171-202
30 Oct	Fall of Jerusalem	Ibn al-Athir, 318-39
1 Nov	Third Crusade	French Cont., Wm of Tyre, §.74-119
4 Nov	Third Crusade	French Cont., Wm of Tyre, §.120-150
6 Nov	Fourth Crusade Launch	Joinville, 5-40
8 Nov	No Class (Haskins Conference) Paper Outline Due
11 Nov	Byzantine Detour	Joinville, 41-61
13 Nov	Conquest of Constantinople	Joinville, 62-81
15 Nov	Building on the Wreckage	Joinville, 82-118
18 Nov	Turning on the Heretics in the Albi	Vaux-de-Cernay, 5-46
20 Nov	The Early Campaigns	Vaux-de-Cernay, 47-100
22 Nov	Things Get Complicated	Vaux-de-Cernay, 101-142
25 Nov	Things Get (Really) Complicated	Vaux-de-Cernay, 155-202
27-29 Nov	Thanksgiving Break
2 Dec	Muret & Toulouse	Vaux-de-Cernay, 203-219, 246-279
4 Dec	Baltic Crusading Final Paper Due	TBA
6 Dec	The Fall of Acre & the Dream of Recovery	Forey, “The Military Orders in the Crusading Proposals of the Late-Thirteenth and Early-Fourteenth Centuries” in Traditio 36 (1980): 317-345.
	Final Exam

Academic Honesty

Sadly, every year a few students attempt to submit work which is not their own. This act is, of course, the crime of plagiarism. Do not test your luck in this arena. The eventual odds are against you, and the penalties are unpleasant. Any student who submits plagiarized work will automatically fail the entire course. Previous students have found that I do not negotiate this point. If you're not sure what constitutes academic dishonesty, consult the student handbook, ask your instructors, or see my links to the problem.

All other forms of cheating will be penalized to the fullest extent of university policies.

Required Textbooks

We have five major readings for this course. They are all required, and yes, I actually expect students to read them (along with all the other assignments).

• Rubenstein, The First Crusade
• Riley-Smith, The First Crusaders
• Ibn Munqidh, The Book of Contemplation
• Joinville, Chronicles of Crusades
• Peter of les Vaux-de-Cernay, History of the Albigensian Crusade

Contacting Dr. Isaac

• Office: Ruffner 226A
• Telephone: 395-2225
• e-mail: isaacsw@longwood.edu
• Office Hours:  MW, 3-4:00pm; TR, 10-10:45am
• Feel free to drop in at anytime; if I can’t see you during the set office hours, I will gladly set up an appointment at your convenience. I am available most afternoons as well if you just want to come by.

Official Verbiage

Catalog Description
HIST 415. Seminar in European History. 3 credits. WI
Note: Satisfactory completion (earning a C- or better) of this course and each of its requirements is required of all history majors in order to graduate.