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HIS20460

Academic Year 2026/2027

Islam and Christianity in the Middle Ages (HIS20460)

Subject:
History
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
History
Level:
2 (Intermediate)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Edward Coleman
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

The module examines the interaction between different societies and belief systems ( in particular Islam and Christianity) from the sixth to eleventh centuries Common Era (CE) /first to fifth centuries Anno Hegirae/Year of the Hijrah (AH). The first part of the module begins with a consideration of the life and message of the Prophet Mohammed, followed by an investigation of the distinctive society created in Arabia, Syria, Egypt, Iraq, Iran and north Africa through conquest and settlement by the Prophet's successors, known as the Rightly Guided Caliphs. Particular attention is paid to the multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-faith character of the Umayyad / Abbasid Caliphate in which Arab rulers held authority over a population of Sunni and Shi'a Muslims; Orthodox, Monophysite and Coptic Christians; Jews and Zoroastrians.The second part of the module is focussed mainly on the history of Iberia and Sicily. These parts of Christian Europe were incorporated into Dar al-islam (the Islamic world) by conquest in the 8th and 9th centuries CE, but subsequently reconquered by Christians in the 11th century. The module examines the encounters between peoples of different faiths and cultures in these spaces, and assesses the historical imprint and legacy of the era. Students have the opportunity to study a range of both Muslim and Christian primary sources , and are encouraged to approach these readings, and the secondary historical literature, from an intercultural perspective.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module student should be able to:
1. Show knowledge and understanding of the early history of the Arab speaking world and its cultural heritage in the Mediterranean area.
2. Appreciate intercultural interactions and interfaith relations in past societies.
3. Critically appraise and contextualise primary source material from differing perspectives.
4. Make informed judgements on religious history and culture and challenge stereotypes.
5. Demonstrate a capacity for cultural sensitivity when considering complex issues and engage in constructive and respectful dialogue.
6. Reflect on the relevance of learning in different cultural and geographical contexts.
7. Research and write scholarly assignments appropriate to the level of Second Year undergraduate degree study in History.

Indicative Module Content:

Lecture 1 – Before Islam
Seminar 1 - Introduction to the module content and assessment. The history and character of Arabia before Islam.
Map work and reflection on a glossary of terms

Lecture 2 – The Birth of Islam
Seminar 2 -The life of the Prophet and the socio-political context of the emergence of Islam as an organised religious belief system.

Lecture 3- The Rightly Guided Caliphs
Seminar 3 - The Constitution of Medina. The Umma and the organisation of early Islamic society.

Lecture 4 - The Conquering Caliphate
Seminar 4 – The Pact of Umar. Relations between the Arabs and subject populations in Syria, Egypt and Persia.

Lecture 5 – The World of the Umayyads
Seminar 5 - The Dome of the Rock. Conversion, assimilation and internal divisions.

Lecture 6 - The Islamic, Byzantine and Latin Mediterranean
Seminar 6 - Intercultural and interfaith contacts, connections, conflicts

Lecture 7 – The Arab Conquest of Spain
Seminar 7 – The great mosque of Córdoba and Al-Andalus.

Lecture 8 - Charlemagne, the Franks and the Islamic world
Seminar 8 - Diplomatic exchanges between the Abbasids and the Carolingians.

Lecture 9 – The Arabs in the western Mediterranean
Seminar 9 - Trades and raids. Commerce and piracy across the religious divide.

Lecture 10 – The beginning of the 'Reconquista' in Spain
Seminar 10 - The poem of El Cid. Fact and fiction on the eve of the Crusades.

Lecture 11 - The 'other Norman Conquest' in southern Italy
Seminar 11- Greeks, Arabs, Normans. Sicily's mixed cultural legacy.











UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

 The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Advanced Beginner

Critical Thinking

 The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Advanced Beginner

Systems Thinking

 The ability to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty. Novice

Strategic

 The ability to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and further afield. Novice

Integrated Problem Solving

 The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development, integrating the competencies in this list. Novice

Self-awareness

 The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires. Advanced Beginner

Normative

 The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interest and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions. Advanced Beginner

Anticipatory

 The ability to understand and evaluate multiple scenarios for the future – possible, probable and desirable; to create one’s own visions for the future; to apply the precautionary principle; to assess the consequences of actions; and to deal with risks and changes. Novice

Digital Literacy and Judgement

 The ability to access, evaluate, create and communicate information in digital environments; to engage critically, ethically and responsibly with digital technologies and digital information; to understand their opportunities, limitations, risks and impact on individual’s digital identities; and to exercise informed judgement in digital participation and decision-making. Advanced Beginner

AI Literacy & Agency

 The ability to understand, critically evaluate and responsibly engage with artificial intelligence; to recognise how AI systems are shaped by human values; to assess their ethical, social and environmental implications; and to exercise human judgement, agency and accountability in AI-related contexts. Advanced Beginner

Wellbeing

 Wellbeing is having the resources and skills to meet life's challenges, including attributes such as personal development skills, resilience, stress management, strengths, lifestyle skills, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, alcohol/substance use, academic skills, time management, goal setting, interpersonal skills, group work, communication. Advanced Beginner

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


Goal Name Description Coverage

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 1

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels 1
 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

11
Seminar (or Webinar)

11
Field Trip/External Visits

2
Specified Learning Activities

45
Autonomous Student Learning

45
Total

114

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:

This module combines large-group and small-group teaching, through a weekly lecture and seminar. Weekly lectures provide overviews of weekly topics, with focus upon key historical trends, debates and events. Weekly seminars focus on small-group active / task-based learning using both secondary and primary sources related to the weekly topic covered in the lecture. Autonomous learning is nurtured through required preparatory reading each week, and a formative and summative written assignment. Key research, writing and citation skills are explicitly incorporated into seminar work and are assessed and advanced from the formative to the summative assignments.

Students will have the opportunity to view original documentary material and artefacts relevant to the module in an optional study visit to the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin.


Regarding assessment of the module, a proportion of written assignments are subject to moderation, meaning they undergo a second layer of review by another grader. This can include oral moderation meetings where the student is invited in for a short meeting with the module coordinator to discuss the assignment. Moderation contributes to better informed marking.


Regarding AI, students may use AI tools for limited support in this module (e.g. idea generation, practice questions, or as a study aid). However, students remain fully responsible for the accuracy and reliability of their learning. Students may not use AI to write assignments which must be written in their own words.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): An essay on a topic selected from a list provided in the module handbook (2000 words +/- 10%, conforming to the School of History style guidelines available on Brightspace). Week 12 Graded No
50
 No
Participation in Learning Activities: Structured student activity including individual reflective exercises, peer review and group work (in-class and online). Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11 Graded No
20
 No
Portfolio: A reflective journal summarising learning on the module, plus an essay focussed on an image related to module content.The reflective journal may be submitted as a video presentation ( max 7 minutes) Week 6 Graded No
30
 No

Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Autumn No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

- Portfolio. Written feedback individually to students, provided through Brightspace post submission. - End of trimester essay. Written feedback individually to students, post-assessment provided through Brightspace post submission. - Individual oral feedback on all assessed work for the module is available on request.

Abulafia, D., The great sea: a human history of the Mediterranean (Oxford, 2011)
Berkey, J., The Formation of Islam: Religion and Society in the Near East, 600–1800 (Cambridge, 2003)
Donner, F.M., Muhammad and the Believers at the Origins of Islam (Cambridge, MA., 2010),
Kennedy, H., The Prophet and the Age of the Caliphates: the Islamic Near East from the Sixth to the Eleventh Century (London, 2016)
Wickham, C., The Inheritance of Rome. A History of Europe 400-1000 (London, 2009)
Wickham, C., The Donkey and the boat: reinterpreting the Mediterranean economy, 950-1180 (Oxford, 2023)

Name Role
Assoc Professor Elva Johnston Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Nathan Millin Tutor
Dr Chiara Tedaldi Tutor
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