A 1273 Christian text argued Muslims could be converted by preaching, not war.

Evidence

This text argues that Islam is so close to Christianity that the conversion of Muslims by peaceful means should be an easy task. In order to prove this, the anonymous author presents a largely accurate (through obviously partial) description of Islamic history, doctrine, and ritual. Moreover, he makes a series of predictions of Islam’s imminent demise, claiming that Muhammad himself had predicted the end of Islam when the caliphate was destroyed (which, the author says, it has recently been, in the Mongol sack of Baghdad). He emphasizes similarities between Christian and Muslim beliefs on the virgin birth of Jesus, and the Koran’s praise of Jesus, the Gospels, and Christians. These things, he says, “which the Saracens believe in their heart to be true” show that they “are close to the Christian faith and close to the way of salvation.” While he recognizes the ways in which Muslim belief differs from Christian belief, he maintains that the way to bring them into the Christian fold is through preaching, not war. — John V. Tolan, Saracens, 1048

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the broader theme of crusade-era Christian approaches to Islam — this irenic, conversion-through-similarity approach contrasts sharply with the polemic tradition and later crusade ideology.
• QUESTION: Why did the Mongol sack of Baghdad (1258) read to some Christians as the caliphate’s destruction and thus proof Muhammad had foretold Islam’s end? Worth checking how widely this specific argument circulated.