Medieval enemies were institutional constructs tied to Christian power

Evidence

As this example shows, enemies are often constructed by institutions that have an interest in maintaining power. In medieval Europe, Christianity was the most powerful vessel of power, one that “created and worked through legal institutions, [the] different selves it shaped and responded to, and different categories of knowledge which it authorized and made available.” Christian identity was based on what was perceived to be normative, and because black skin functioned as a symbol of sin and evil, light-colored skin was privileged. “Race” was not a concept active in the medieval vocabulary, although bodily difference—including the color and tone of skin—certainly played a role in the formation of identity and in monster-making. — Sophia Rose Arjana, Muslims in the Western Imagination, 101

Categorization

• XREF: Directly substantiates the reader’s core thesis that the Muslim monster is a projection and container for what the West cannot face — here stated as institutions building enemies to maintain power. — connects to: Medieval Christian theology could glorify enemy deaths as service to Christ; Centuries of Christian violence served protecting power and privilege — Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry, 447; Power-over-others Christianity repeatedly drives believers toward atrocities — Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry, 65