Conversion to Islam offered material advantages Christians had to counter with spiritual arguments

Evidence

Christian churchmen, thrust into the role of minority, struggled to discourage their flocks from converting to Islam: since the material advantages of conversion were clear, these authors needed to portray Islam as spiritually inferior to Christianity at the same time that they explained why God should allow the Muslims’ stunning successes. — John V. Tolan, Saracens, 67

Categorization

• XREF: Echoes the strategic-materialist logic of Milgrom on why institutions arise: material incentives reshape belief and require counter-institutions.