Plague and Contagion in the Medieval Islamic World with Justin Stearns
Episode 19 - July 17, 2020
Justin Stearns (NYU Abu Dhabi) talks to Merle and Lee about his research on contagion, disease, and plague in medieval Islamic thought. Their conversation touches upon the central role of plague to Islamic thinking, since plague struck during the early conquests and the formation of the Islamic community. Justin also highlights some similarities and differences between studying these topics in the Islamic world and Christian Europe. Finally, he reflects upon how Islamic thinking about plague has been talked about during the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Further Reading
- Nükhet Varlik, Plague and Empire in the Early Modern Mediterranean World: The Ottoman Experience, 1347-1600 (Cambridge, 2015).
- Josef van Ess, Der Fehltritt des Gelehrten (Universitätsverlag Winter, 2001).
- Stuart Borsch, The Black Death in Egypt and England: A Comparative Study (University of Texas Press, 2005).
- Salvatore Speziale, Il contagio del contagio: Circolazione di saperi e sfide bioetiche tra Africa ed Europa dalla Peste nera all'AIDS (Cittàdel Sole, 2016).
Our Guest
Justin Stearns,
Associate Professor in Arab Crossroads Studies – NYU Abu Dhabi.
