- Description
- 1 online resource (xiii, 177 pages) : illustrations, maps.
- Summary
- The thirteenth century brought new urgency to Catholic efforts to convert non-Christians, and no Catholic ruler was more dedicated to this undertaking than King Louis IX of France. His military expeditions against Islam are well documented, but there was also a peaceful side to his encounter with the Muslim world, one that has received little attention until now. This splendid book shines new light on the king's program to induce Muslims - the "apple of his eye" - to voluntarily convert to Christianity and resettle in France. It recovers a forgotten but important episode in the history of the Crusades while providing a rare window into the fraught experiences of the converts themselves. William Chester Jordan transforms our understanding of medieval Christian-Muslim relations by telling the stories of the Muslims who came to France to live as Christians. Under what circumstances did they willingly convert? How successfully did they assimilate into French society? What forms of resistance did they employ? In examining questions like these, Jordan weaves a richly detailed portrait of a dazzling yet violent age whose lessons still resonate today. Until now, scholars have dismissed historical accounts of the king's peaceful conversion of Muslims as hagiographical and therefore untrustworthy. Jordan takes these narratives seriously--and uncovers archival evidence to back them up. He brings his findings marvelously to life in this succinct and compelling book, setting them in the context of the Seventh Crusade and the universalizing Catholic impulse to convert the world. -- Publisher, front flap of dust jacket.
- Series Statement
- Jews, Christians, and Muslims from the ancient to the modern world
- Uniform Title
- Apple of his eye (Online)
- Jews, Christians, and Muslims from the ancient to the modern world.
- Alternative Title
- Apple of his eye (Online)
- Converts from Islam in the reign of Louis IX
- Subjects
- Bibliography (note)
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 149-171) and index.
- Access (note)
- Access restricted to authorized users.
- Contents
- Converting the world -- The crusade of 1248-1254 -- The resettlement of the converts -- Living in France -- The last crusade.
- LCCN
- 2018949930
- OCLC
- ssj0002248084
- Author
Jordan, William Chester, 1948-
- Title
The apple of his eye [electronic resource] : converts from Islam in the reign of Louis IX / William Chester Jordan.
- Imprint
Princeton : Princeton University Press, [2019]
- Series
Jews, Christians, and Muslims from the ancient to the modern world
Jews, Christians, and Muslims from the ancient to the modern world.
- Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 149-171) and index.
- Access
Access restricted to authorized users.
- Connect to:
- Chronological Term
1200-1299