EH.N: CFP: Commerce and Religion in Medieval and Early Modern Times

[Alexander Field]

Call for papers:  Commerce and Religion in Medieval and Early Modern
Times 
European Social Science History Conference (Ghent, Belgium, 13-16 April
2010)
 
How did merchants belonging to different religious groups conduct trade
with one another during the Medieval and Early Modern period?   How did
different societies accommodate "infidels" in the interest of promoting
profitable commercial activity?   We seek papers that focus on specific
instances of inter-faith commerce from around the world in the period
from 1000 to 1800.   Papers from a variety of perspectives (e.g.
economic history, legal history, cultural history) are welcome.  They
should be based on original research.
 
We are particularly eager to receive contributions that approach two
inter-related themes:
a)  the emergence of institutions, technologies, and forms of social
organization that may have reduced the uncertainty of commercial
exchanges, which was particularly acute in the absence of family and
religious ties.  For example, papers might explore the mechanics of
medium- to long-term credit between individuals and groups who shared no
religious affiliation and traded over significant distances.  Analyses
of failed or coerced inter-faith commercial exchanges are also welcome
if they reveal larger patterns of cross-cultural interaction.
b)  the tension between economic pragmatism, legal prescriptions, and
religious prejudice.  We are eager to link the mechanics of commercial
exchange to their broader cultural implications in a wide variety of
contexts and historical moments.  In particular, we want to understand
how and whether the quest for profit either encouraged more tolerant
attitudes or merely enabled different groups to coexist in the context
of religious biases and patterns of segregation.  
The ultimate goal of this session is to develop a comparative approach
to these questions and to trace changes over time, while respecting the
historical particularity of diverse cases. 
Please send a paper title and an abstract of no more than 800 words via
email to both session organizers no later than 1 April 2009.  Proposals
should be written in English.  We are especially keen to review papers
that combine empirical research and theoretical reflections.

Francesca Trivellato
Professor of History 
YaleUniversity
Email:  francesca.trivellato at yale.edu 

Cátia Antunes
Assistant Professor of History
LeidenUniversity
Email:  c.a.p.antunes at let.leidenuniv.nl