For our April Brownbag, Religious Studies is delighted to host Dr. Maya Soifer Irish, Associate Professor of History at Rice University. Dr. Irish will present the talk “The Politics of Antisemitism in Medieval Castile before the Anti-Jewish Riots of 1391.” This event is open to all interested students, faculty, staff, and members of the public! Please share widely with anyone who may be interested.
Description: In the medieval kingdom of Castile, Jews were commonly stereotyped as an innately treacherous and conspiratorial people working to undermine and destroy the Christian community and the state. During the Castilian Civil War in the 1360s, Enrique Trastámara, an illegitimate son of King Alfonso XI, weaponized antisemitic propaganda to topple his half-brother Pedro I, the lawful king, and to usurp the throne. The presentation argues that the civil war marked the emergence of the “politics of antisemitism” in Castile, defined as the strategic deployment of anti-Jewish tropes by local political elites, urban factions, and church figures to consolidate power and reshape society. The politics of antisemitism found a particularly fertile ground in Seville, where the incendiary preaching of Ferrán Martínez, Archdeacon of Écija, triggered an assault on the Jewish Quarter in March 1391.
Date & Time: Friday, April 24, 2026, 12 Noon – 1:00PM
Location: Room 202/204, Bradley Memorial Building (Street Address: 1225 Linden Dr. Madison, Wisconsin, 53706)