Dominican missionaries refused to prove Christianity by reason, destroying Muslim faith without replacing it

Evidence

In the midst of such discouragement, one Dominican missionary sounded an optimistic note—or so he would have his readers believe. Alfonso Buenhombre, a Spanish Dominican who traveled in North Africa and was active in missions to Jews and Muslims, became bishop of Marrakesh in 1343. Educated in Paris, fluent in Arabic, he was the epitome of the Dominican missionary ideal, which sought to prove the superiority of Christianity over Judaism and Islam through rational argumentation and the careful exegesis of the adversaries’ scripture. — John V. Tolan, Saracens, 1272 (#complicates, via linked claim)

And since they excel in reason and have sharp intellects, they do not want to believe anything they cannot understand.” The first thing to do in arguing with them is not to expound Christian law, for that would be casting pearls before swine, as they will only deride our doctrines. — John V. Tolan, Saracens, 1260 (#complicates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Medieval Dominicans held reason could defend but never prove the faith; Dominicans held Christian truth unprovable by necessary reasons; Llull rejected this; Medieval missionaries who lacked language skills and dispute training failed against educated infidels (+10 more)

Broader Connections

• Dominican missionaries sought to prove Christianity through rival scripture exegesis #complicates (0.78) — John V. Tolan, Saracens, 1272
• Thirteenth-century missionaries considered Muslims too rational to accept unexamined doctrine. #complicates (0.77) — John V. Tolan, Saracens, 1260