IMC 2026: Sessions
Session 704: Eastern Christian and Jewish Religious and Legal Strategies
Tuesday 7 July 2026, 14:15-15:45
| Organiser: | IMC Programming Committee |
|---|---|
| Moderator/Chair: | Sarah Ifft Decker, Department of History, Rhodes College, Tennessee |
| Paper 704-a | Claim, Avoid, Secure: Jewish Legal Strategies in a Pluralist Fatimid Landscape (Language: English) Index terms: Hebrew and Jewish Studies, Islamic and Arabic Studies, Law, Social History |
| Paper 704-b | Nihil est permanentius quam provisoria: The Long-Lasting Impact of Frankish Rule in the East over Eastern Christians during the Crusader Period (Language: English) Index terms: Crusades, Ecclesiastical History, Islamic and Arabic Studies, Religious Life |
| Paper 704-c | Saladin between Crusade and Governance: Political, Religious, and Interfaith Representations in the Medieval Mediterranean (Language: English) Index terms: Crusades, Islamic and Arabic Studies, Language and Literature - Middle English, Military History |
| Abstract | Paper 704-a: This paper examines how Jewish litigants in Fatimid Egypt (969–1171) strategically navigated overlapping legal systems by drawing on both communal courts and Islamic tribunals. Focusing on inheritance disputes, it analyses how individuals deployed legal instruments—gifts, releases, compensation deeds, and other documents—to pre-empt conflict, assert agency, and manage jurisdictional ambiguity. Three case studies from the Cairo Geniza illustrate these practices: a joint Karaite–Rabbanite inheritance ruling, a deed of release validated by a Muslim notary, and a universal release crafted to forestall claims across multiple jurisdictions. Together, these examples challenge assumptions of rigid legal boundaries and instead reveal a pragmatic, situational engagement with legal pluralism. By foregrounding preventive strategies, the paper shows how ordinary individuals shaped legal outcomes not only through compliance or resistance but through foresight, creativity, and negotiation. Paper 704-b: The Frankish presence in the Levant interrupted the ongoing process of Islamization that had begun following the Islamic conquests of the seventh century. Yet, once the Franks left the region, the pace of conversion among Eastern Christians accelerated markedly. This paper seeks to examine the relationship between these two developments. While their juxtaposition might appear coincidental, I argue that several measures introduced by the Franks during their rule persisted after their departure and significantly contributed to the subsequent Islamization of Eastern Christian communities. Paper 704-c: In the medieval Christian world—both the Latin West and the Orthodox East—Muslims were frequently labelled as “Saracens” and constructed as political and religious adversaries of Christendom. Texts such as La Chanson de Roland reinforced crusading ideologies, embedding negative representations within broader governmental, legal, and institutional discourses that shaped Christian–Muslim relations during the Crusades. Yet later medieval narratives complicate this image. The Middle English romance Richard Coeur de Lion portrays Saladin (Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi) not merely as an enemy but as a chivalric and capable ruler opposing Richard I of England. This portrayal is striking given his victory at the Battle of Hattin and the recapture of Jerusalem, suggesting a more nuanced intercultural perception shaped by diplomacy and governance as well as warfare. Using New Historicism, this paper examines representations of Saladin in Western and Islamic sources, situating them within crusading ideology, political institutions, and interfaith dynamics. It also briefly considers the position of Jewish communities within these narratives. The study argues that depictions of Saladin reflect shifting perceptions shaped by power, cross-cultural contact, and the realities of medieval governance. Key Words: Middle Ages, Literature, History, Crusades, Saladin, Jewish–Christian–Muslim Interactions |