> Date sent: Wed, 30 Oct 1996 11:04:33 -0500 (EST)
> From: Thomas Izbicki <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: Muslim views of Scripture
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Send reply to: [log in to unmask]
> Christian polemics against Islam addressed questions of the nature of the
> Koran; see Kritzeck, Peter the Venerable and Islam, also the works of
> Norman Daniel and R. W. Southern on this topic.
>
> tom izbicki
>
Peter the Venerable is arguably the key medieval figure in Christian
attempts to understand Islam, though I would be somewhat wary of
Kritzeck's book. Valuable as it is, it is rather dated now, and many
of his theories don't hold up. Principal among these is the notion
that Peter had a genuine love and respect for Muslims, and sought to
convert them, rather than supporting the crusades.
It may look this way on the surface, but the purpose of his
refutation of Islam, which begins with the famous lines, "I attack
you, not with arms [...] but with words, etc." is not to engender
goodwill. Indeed, his address to Muslims never reached a Muslim
audience. Kedar has convincingly proposed in "Crusade and Mission"
that this was a formula borrowed from the apology of al-Kindi, which
uses similar wording, and was also available in Spain. I have my own
ideas about what else it might mean, but you'll have to read my PhD
thesis for that!
Virginia Berry has shown long ago ("Petrus Venerabilis") that Peter
was an enthusiastic supporter of crusading, especially of the idea of
taking revenge on the Greeks for their supposed treachery during the
disastrous Second Crusade. Kritzeck has read the concilliatory
passages out of context.
The main purpose behind Ketton's translation of the Qur'an was to
provide an accurate source of information for which a refutation
might be created. While reasonably accurate, it is not a sympathetic
translation, and contains numerous commentaries such as "note how he
(Muhammad) repeats himself again here". Ketton, Peter, and their
contemporaries came to view the Qur'an as a hopeless mess, a confused
mixture of biblical passages with much new heretical material and no
sturcture, which gave them all the more reason for wanting to refute
Islam as a heresy.
Tim Rayborn
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