Dr. Gruen’s presentation today was nice for me as it was a reminder of why I care about the study of religion. The notion of suspending judgement in order to understand another’s logic is so crucial to this world. Of course we all judge at times, but that is often unproductive. Sure, we can decide that certain groups or even individuals are dangerous, illegitimate, misguided, and even hateful. But that does not help us understand why they do what they do, and the worldview reflected by their actions. And even in more neutral and positive cases, it is so helpful to develop habits of understanding the logic behind a person’s actions that initially may seem confusing.
In regards to Spain’s history, there are so many events that are driven by religious identity. In studying the worldviews of the different religious traditions throughout the Iberian Peninsula, it can help us to understand why certain things occurred. We have even seen already how much religious worldview colors a person’s understanding of their own history, as Christians in Muslim Spain brought up ideas of divine favor and God’s will and the role of the divine in allowing Spain to be, in their understanding, taken away from them.
