Crusades: Medieval Worlds in Conflict -- An International Collaborative Conference

FAIN: RZ-51008-09

St. Louis University (St. Louis, MO 63103-2097)
Thomas F. Madden (Project Director: November 2008 to March 2011)

An international conference to examine the Crusades from a global perspective, including public lectures and online abstracts, and preparation for publication of a resulting scholarly monograph. (12 months)

World events have brought the subject of the Crusades to a new place of prominence and importance. This surge of interest comes on the heels of a renaissance in Crusade scholarship during the past thirty years that has greatly expanded our understanding of many aspects of the movement. However, virtually all of that scholarly energy has been focused on the medieval West. Yet the Crusades also represented an interactive episode in which diverse cultures -- western Christian, eastern Christian, Jewish, and Muslim -- came into contact, conflict, and collaboration. The purpose of this conference will be to bring together diverse avenues of scholarly expertise to examine the Crusades from a global perspective. The conference will result in public lectures, online abstracts, and a scholarly monograph that will further not only Crusades Studies, but understandings across the Humanities.