Due Monday, March 10th
In a tight, well-argued essay of two to four pages, assess Christianity's historical contribution to antisemitism. This is obviously an immense subject, which you will have to narrow by choosing your own thesis and addressing one aspect of the larger topic. Pick a specific angle that interests you and that you can treat in two to four pages without getting tangled up or falling into generalizations. I've spun off some suggestions for theses at the bottom of this page.
If you can take a strong position and argue it, that's good. Remember, though, that it's ok to raise questions in a paper and speculate about plausible explanations (citing evidence for each theory you propose) without advancing a single, definitive answer. All historiography grows out of the astute question.
For either type of paper (especially the second one), your task is to lead the reader through your own reasoning process so that he arrives at the same conclusion you did. Coherent paragraphs that flow naturally out of one another, with logical transitions and minimal digression, are crucial if you want your reader to follow your train of thought.
Above all, remember the difference between assertion and argument, between opinion and thesis, between generalization and conclusion. Given how well you have been using evidence in your e-journals, this reminder is probably unnecessary.
Friday, February 28: Bring to class a possible thesis for your paper (or two, if you haven't settled on your choice yet). If you want to run your thesis past me earlier than Friday, you may e-mail it. Monday, March 3: Bring to class a rough outline of your paper, in which you have sketched out topics for three to six paragraphs arguing your thesis. Include references to the evidence you will cite in support of each point. If you cannot find support for your assertions, you might want to choose another thesis. (I will collect these outlines along with the preliminary and final drafts of your paper.) Friday, March 7: Bring to class a draft of your paper, in finished enough form that a reader could follow your argument and comment upon it. You will exchange papers with another student, who will take on the role of Skeptic or Unconvinced Audience (I will try to match you up with someone who disagrees with you). Your reader will jot down any objections, counterarguments, and questions he can think of in response to your paper, and you will do the same for someone else's paper. You needn't worry about correcting each other's grammar, but you should point out any weaknesses, contradictions, or flaws you find in your peer's argument. Peer editing is required and will count towards your grade. If you cannot be in class on Friday due to an officially excused absence, you should e-mail me a copy of your draft prior to Friday, March 7. Papers that are revised in response to a skeptic's comments will almost certainly be stronger and more persuasive, earning a better grade. In time, you will learn to internalize the voice of the Skeptical Reader and to anticipate any possible objections to your arguments. If there are two or more of you who desperately want to get this paper out of the way before Monday, March 10th, contact me and I'll try to arrange for you to exchange drafts earlier. Monday, March 10: Bring to class your final paper and turn it in along with your outline, your preliminary draft, and your peer's comments. I don't need electronic copies of your outline and draft, but please do e-mail me a copy of your final paper, as usual. If for some reason you need an extra few days to finish your final paper, see me soon to arrange an extension. I do want them before Spring Break. |
Finding a Thesis
In class, we have discussed generating questions and then turning them into theses. Here are some sample theses, just to get your minds going; you are welcome to use any of them, but I'm sure you can come up with even better ones on your own:- "Medieval Christians' religious beliefs predisposed them to believe certain irrational accusations against Jews."
- "Religious rhetoric provided a convenient rationalization, masking people's true economic (or social, or political) motives for violence against Jews."
- "The Church's official policy on Jews, embodied in Innocent III's Edict in Favor of the Jews, is a double-edged sword that promised protection while fostering conditions and attitudes that enouraged people to abuse Jews." (not very well worded, but you get the idea)
- Christendom's expansion in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, its embracing of a crusading ideal, and its contact with Muslim enemies increased Christians' religious solidarity and their animosity towards the non-Christians in their midst."
- The documents we have read and videos we have seen suggest that medieval Christians took a markedly different attitude towards Muslims than they did towards Jews. Possible explanations for this difference include..."
- "Without the Church's protection, Jews in medieval Europe would have suffered far worse persecution at the hands of their rulers and neighbors than they did; Christianity was one of the only things holding popular anti-Jewish hostilty in check."
- "Anti-Jewish beliefs, which were formulated by the educated clerical elite [=the clergy], gradually filtered down to the general Christian populace, achieving widespread acceptance only after about 1200."
- "A powerful, centralizing, and ambitious papacy contributed to the deterioration of Jewish status by enforcing old anti-Judaic statutes that until the thirteenth century had been largely ignored."
- "The fact that Jews and Christians coexisted peacefully for hundreds of years prior to the First Crusade indicates that there is nothing inherently anti-Jewish about the Christian faith."
- "The fact that Jews and Christians coexisted peacefully for hundreds of years prior to the First Crusade indicates that most early medieval Christians did not take the anti-Jewish teachings of their church leaders very seriously."
- "Antisemitism can be explained partly as an unintentional by-product of official church teachings." (still very broad)
- "The fact that Christians and Jews both laid claim to the same sacred scripture was a primary reason for the hostility between them in the Middle Ages."
These are just a few examples. I did not formulate theses for the questions you raised in class the other day, because I'm reluctant to put words in your mouths. Remember that you must be clear and specific in your paper; let your reader know what you mean by such words as "Church," "medieval," and "antisemitism."
If you have any questions, please raise them in class, on the fps-l list, or in private. Thanks!
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