Author Description

The Religions of the Book explores Christian perceptions of the complex relationship between the ₁religions of the book₂ - Christianity, Islam and Judaism - from 1400 to 1660. This period defines the rise of the Islamic Ottoman and the Catholic Spanish Empires, each with rhetorical - if not actual - claims to global dominance, and the apocalyptic conflict between them. It is also a period in which Christianity and Islam were riven by schism, profoundly complicating notions of just and holy war. Similarly, the connections between Christianity and Judaism were subject to continual debate and a wide range of responses. These expansive and interdisciplinary essays question how Christianity was understood in relation to others ₁of the book₂; the comprehension of common religious narratives and geography; and the nature of their conflict and co-existence. This collection demonstrates how the interaction of these three religions is crucial for an understanding of the period 1400 to 1660.