CAS would like to congratulate CAS-affiliated baby直播app member Professor Brian Catlos on the commendations for his recent book,聽Muslims of Medieval Latin Christendom! Catlos' book聽was recently awarded the Homer Haskins Medal from the Medieval Academy of America.聽
Professor聽Brian Catlos聽has been a member of the Religious Studies baby直播app at CU Boulder since 2010. He is affiliated also with the History Department and the Humanities and Jewish Studies Programs. He directs the University of baby直播app聽Mediterranean Studies Group聽and is also Co-Director of聽The Mediterranean Seminar, an international forum for scholarly collaboration for developing research and teaching in the field of Mediterranean Studies.
The official from the Medieval Academy of America is excerpted here:
"The 2018 Haskins Medal is awarded to Brian A. Catlos for his monograph,聽Muslims of Medieval Latin Christendom, c. 1050-1614聽(Cambridge:聽Cambridge University Press, 2015).
Committee members: Richard W. Kaeuper (Chair); Jocelyn Wogen Brown; Alastair Minnis.
Awarding the coveted Charles Homer Haskins Medal to Brian Catlos for his聽Muslims of Medieval Latin Christendom, c. 1050-1614聽might at first聽be thought to owe much to its character as a truly timely book. Its current relevance is undeniable for its subject is Christian/Muslim relations in聽a formative period of European and Mediterranean history聽and one of its merits is presenting that history in a calm and cogent manner,聽resisting the temptation to over-sensationalize his materials. Yet it is important to state clearly that the medal is awarded even more for the聽admirable scope of the work and the commendable depth of its scholarship. Here is a truly magisterial study, wherein a scholar in聽control of an聽abundance of information inspires confidence in his precise and well-grounded conclusions through clarity, economy and evident good聽judgment.
This study boldly presents an entire field of crucial interest that has only in relatively recent decades come more sharply into scholarly focus,聽often through valuable but localized investigations. This book brings the mosaic pieces together, giving the broad view needed at this stage. Both聽geographically and chronologically comprehensive, the book聽generates not only a synthesis but a distinctive and creative reinterpretation. It聽provides the thorough and nuanced analysis that we must have if we are to understand the fascinating vitality in an entire range of interactions聽as both sides faced challenges that emerged as Muslim societies continued through crusade and conquest to live within聽Christian territories.
In its breadth of approach and through the commendably tireless investigation of both archival deposits and secondary scholarship from both聽East and West, the book establishes a model for research and sets a standard for future work which will draw upon its panoramic narrative and聽its close analysis of particular sites no less than on its聽breathtaking territorial sweep which takes us from the Iberian peninsula, to Italy, North聽Africa, the Latin East, Poland and Hungary. A view that so successfully combines telescope and microscope offers critical views on received聽wisdom that will enliven scholarship for decades.
Happily, it can be said finally that these scholarly heights are not reached at the cost of imposing disappointingly deadening prose on readers. To聽the contrary, the narrative and argument flow smoothly, bringing the case, often of a revisionist nature, fully to life. Scholars and students聽(hopefully, merging categories) will read this book with profit for聽a long time to come."
Congratulations to Professor Catlos on recieving this prestigious award!