‘Sanctuary Cities: The View from Medieval Ireland’

The Tuesday Lunch Series welcomes John Soderberg, assistant professor of anthropology and sociology, presenting Sanctuary Cities: The View from Medieval Ireland.” The idea of a sanctuary city has been stirring outrage for a long time. Debates in the news might seem the product of modern concerns surrounding immigration, race, and economic inequality. But, the idea has recurred for millennia.

This talk explores what we can learn about today’s sanctuary cities by looking at monastic “Cities of Refuge” in early medieval Ireland. These settlements were among the largest and most economically complex settlements of their day. But, they were also sacred sites that offered sanctuary from prosecution and refuge to marginalized populations. With its tangle of roles, cities of refuge became the focal point for concerns about the borders of human communities. Reflecting on the conversation over communal borders in medieval Ireland may help untangle today’s conversations about Chicago and San Francisco.