medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
From: Henk 't Jong <[log in to unmask]>
> Do any of you know if there are comparative studies about Christians living
under Islam in the Iberian Peninsula, Syria etc, and the Balkans? I have
found books in which the separate areas are studied, but no overviews about
this subject. I would like to compare them to descriptions of crusaders
embracing oriental life while living in the Holy Land during the 12th c. I
wonder if this is possible, but I have no doubt that some of you on this
list can give me pointers to that effect.
hiya Henk 't,
welcome to the list.
this just dropped into my box from The Middlevil Review and might have
something of use for you.
c
------ Original Message ------
Received: Thu, 27 Sep 2007 11:15:54 AM EDT
From: The Medieval Review <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask]
Subject: TMR 07.09.27 Lejbowicz, Les relations culturelles (Mews)
Lejbowicz, Max, ed. <i>Les relations culturelles entre chretiens et
musulmans au moyen age. Quelle lecons en tirer de nos jours. Actes
du Colloque organise a la Fondation Singer-Polignac (Paris) le
Mercredi 20 octobre 2004</i>. Rencontres medievales europeennes 5.
Turnhout: Brepols, 2005. Pp. 166. ISBN 2-503-51803-6.
Reviewed by Constant J. Mews
Monash University
[log in to unmask]
This is a relatively slim book that broaches a vast subject of
great contemporary interest, the interaction between Christians and
Muslims in the Middle Ages. There are some noteworthy individual
presentations in this volume, although often they tend to raise
questions in the form of an elegant lecture rather than present
detailed research. The conclusion one must inevitably draw is that
with relatively few French scholars have applied themselves in
depth to the subject under debate. Thus Remi Brague offers an
opening discussion of whether or not there was a dialogue between
Islam and Christianity in the Middle Ages has the character of a
swift overview, offering the perhaps not surprising to some
conclusion that such dialogue was more of a dream than a reality in
the medieval period.
The paper by Emilio Platti, "Bagdad-Beauvais-Bruges," offers more
precision in that it focuses on the Latin transmission of the
<i>Risala</i> of al-Kindi, from ninth-century Baghdad, as mediated
by Vincent of Beauvais in his <i>Speculum historiale</i> and its
Flemish translation in the late thirteenth century by Jacob von
Maerlant. By remaining focused on a particular case of how a
polemical dialogue between a Muslim and an Arab Christian was
transmitted into Latin and then into Flemish, Platti shows how
Islam would be presented to a Christian audience in utterly hostile
tones, any attempt at rational discussion by al-Kindi being
transformed into negative polemic. The study by Jean Jolivet of
Latin translations of Arabic texts has the merit of casting a wider
net, while providing confident awareness of an evolving Latin
philosophical tradition, initially through Abelard, then through
writings of al-Kindi and Alfarabi.
The paper by Max Lejbowicz, "Developpement autochtone assume et
acculturation dissimulee," is much more solid and reflective, in
exploring the tension between the self-confident desire of Latin
Christendom to develop its own culture and the reality that Latin
culture was profoundly shaped by Arab culture, even if it did not
wish to acknowledge its debt to a culture much richer both
intellectually and economically in the twelfth century. In
rhetorically tuned prose, Lejbowicz continues Jolivet's suggestion
that exposure to Arab thinkers unlocked philosophical creativity,
but reflects on how the Latin West refused to acknowledged that
debt. He exposes the paradox of how some of the finest minds of the
Latin West--like that of Peter the Venerable--were fascinated by
the experience of Islam, yet insisted on reducing that experience
to familiar categories. Lejbowicz concludes his survey with
reflection on the narrow suspicion voiced by Stephen Tempier of
ideas stimulated by Latin scholars reading Islamic philosophers.
The only contribution that actually deals with medieval Islamic
culture is that of Roger Arnaldez, who reflects on notions of love
in Arab poetry and Islamic mysticism. Those two genres were as
closely connected within the Islamic world as in Latin Christendom.
His lecture is suggestive without offering any major new research.
The volume also includes two papers on contemporary Islam, by
Khattar Abou Diab and Pascal Le Pautremat, of interest, but not
related in substance to the theme of the volume. Exchanges
following each paper are recorded from the conference, many of them
initiated by Alain Besancon. They suggest vague awareness that this
is an important subject, but yet also skirt around the troubling
questions of how limited were the actual interactions between
Christians and Muslims in the medieval period. This is a topic that
demands further attention.
**********************************************************************
To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME
to: [log in to unmask]
To send a message to the list, address it to:
[log in to unmask]
To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion
to: [log in to unmask]
In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to:
[log in to unmask]
For further information, visit our web site:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html
|