The Fortress of Faith

This volume deals with the creation of a new image of Islam in the Iberian Peninsula in the 15th century. It uses as point of departure several treatises on Islam written around 1450. The first chapters examine the historical background, the authors' biographies and the styles they chose to approach 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. The interpretation of these sources shows a new 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.