How ironic..

Thanks for your question! I don’t take convivencia to be a political doctrine. Instead, I think of it as a term that is used to refer to a particular idea about Iberian (or Andalusi) history-namely, the idea that al-Andalus was a place where Muslims, Christians, and Jews lived together in relative peace and harmony. In “On Earth or in Poems,” I briefly trace the history of this idea and point to the work of scholars who have explored its history in depth. I also encourage you to keep an eye out for a forthcoming volume about “convivencia” edited by S.J. Pearce (NYU). That volume will feature several essays about the history, meanings, and uses of “convivencia.” I’ve contributed an essay about how the idea of convivencia was used to justify Spanish colonialism in Morocco.

Thank you for responding! Conviencia isn’t to be thought of as a political doctrine, perhaps an imaginary, a discursive formation, if I am not mistaken. I will certainly look up the book you mentioned. I got thinking about convivencia and tolerance precisely based on what you said w.r.t its colonial associations. what prompted my thought was some of the recent scholarship on tolerance, such as Wendy Brown’s, that deal with its power to constitute truths about the ‘tolerated’ and sustain the differences instead of resolving them. Anyway, thank you again. I hope to get to interact more!

The book is available on the Harvard University Press website: www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674284388