The course aims to provide a thematic survey of the basic issues in the history of religious toleration as a primary groundwork for the development of modern «open societies» founded on mutual understanding and the acceptance of the “other”. The seminar format - with class discussion of written assignments - is intended to stimulate the fostering of the skills of critical inquiry, while encouraging students to improve their abilities in the fields of bibliographical survey, academic reading, in-class note taking, oral research presentation and scholarly writing.