What did Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada Know About Islam?

Abstract

This article considers into what conceptual framework Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada, archbishop of Toledo (1209-1247), placed the information he knew about Islam. Did he view Islam as a religion, a polity, a heresy, a law, or some combination of these? It answers this question first by showing the role Islam plays within the archbishop’s historiography and then by exploring particular terms the archbishop uses to discuss Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, including, religion, sect, faith, perfidy, heresy, and law. It concludes that Islam, like Judaism and Christianity, was viewed as a law by Rodrigo, a term that encompasses much of what our modern term religion conveys, but eliminates the dichotomy between faith and practice, and minimizes the importance of elective assent to the community.