The Fortress of Faith: The Attitude towards Muslims in Fifteenth Century Spain

Dealing with the creation of an image of Islam in the Iberian Peninsula in the 15th century, this text uses as its point of departure several treatises on Islam written around 1450. It examines the historical background, the authors’ biographies and the styles they chose to approach the different audiences. As for the contents of the treatises, subjects included are Islamic doctrine as known by Christian theologians; controversy as a way to achieve pacific conversion and social habits leading to the acculturation of Islamic communities. This interpretation shows a view of the interaction between Islam and Christianity, which favoured the conquest of Granada - the last piece of land under Muslim power in the Peninsula - and the obstruction of Turkish advance in Europe.