Islam, Christianity, and the West : a troubled history / Rollin Armour, Sr.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Ch. 1. Muhammad and the establishment of Islam : the Revelations and early years in Mecca -- Muhammad's move to Medina -- Reclaiming Mecca -- In praise of Muhammad -- Islam, the religious system. Ch. 2. The spread of Islam : the question of war -- The Caliphate -- Islamic civilization -- The Mediterranean -- Invasions: Turks and Mongols. Ch. 3. The First Christian responses to Islam : Early criticism of the Islamic religion -- The view from the West -- History, eschatology, and martyrdom: the martyrs of Cordoba. Ch. 4. Islam in the eyes of the Medieval West: a deformed image : The Case against Muhammad -- Islamic practices -- Positive words on Islam. Ch. 5. The Western counteroffensive: the reconquest of Spain and the Crusades in the Holy Land : the recovery of Spain and Portugal -- The call for crusade against the Holy Land -- Factors behind the Crusades -- The significance of the Sermon -- The nature of crusade -- The response to the call -- A calamitous beginning -- The First Crusade -- The Second and Third Crusades -- Other Crusades -- Results of the Crusades. Ch. 6. Translating Islam : Peter the Venerable and the Spanish Connection. Ch. 7. Christian attempts to convert Muslims: peaceful missions and the conversion by force : The Mendicant Orders: Franciscans and Dominicans -- Conversion by force of arms. Ch. 8. Bridges from Christendom to Islam: examples of cooperation : The Philosophers of Islam -- A Convert from Judaism -- Thomas Aquinas -- Sicily and Southern Italy: cooperation and forced conversion. Ch. 9. The Renaissance: thoughts of rapprochement and dialogue : John of Segovia -- Nicolas of Cusa -- The words of a Pope: Pius II -- Theodore Bibliander. Ch. 10. The Turks as a sign of the end of the age: Luther and de Susannis : Martin Luther -- The traditional Catholic view: Marquardus de Susannis and the De Iudaeis. Ch. 11. The sea explorers and Western Civilization: Europe outflanks and overpowers the Islamic world : Christopher Columbus -- The Portuguese navigators -- A shift in power -- Western imperialism: the nineteenth and twentieth centuries -- Napoleon and the first signs of imperialism -- Colonialism and Islam -- Results of Western colonialism. Ch. 12. Modern views of Islam: from rejection to acceptance : The study of Arabic -- Early writers from the Enlightenment -- Theological views: positive elements in Islam -- Theological views: the negative side -- Romanticism: the Middle East as exotic -- The academic study of Islam -- Interreligious dialogue -- Is the Qur'an the Word of God? -- From the Muslim side. Ch. 13. Zionism and the establishment of the State of Israel : the beginnings of Zionism -- British support for Zionism -- British power interests and Israel -- The Balfour Declaration -- Palestinian Arabs -- Early settlers -- The failure of attempts to extricate Jews -- The creation of Israel -- The nature of the conflict. Ch. 14. An overview of Islam and the West today : A resurgent Islam -- Problems between the West and the Islamic world -- The West -- other problem areas -- Islam in the West -- Conclusion: the place of religion.