Medieval writers mostly ignored that shared terms hid different meanings

Evidence

Alan, op. cit. Paganus was used thoughtlessly, just as hereticus was, by authors not actually needing to distinguish at the moment of writing; in such cases it really means ‘neither a Christian nor a Jew’. — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 2281 (#expands, via linked claim)

Words to do with worship may often not imply divine honours at all, as obviously in the title of address, ‘your worship’, ete. Adorare was used of the Christian worship of images, although ecclesiastical writers were very conscious that these were not to be given the kind of worship to which only God is entitled. — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 2479 (#complicates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Medieval terms for non-Christians were used loosely and interchangeably — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 2281; The social character of Islamic practice went unrecognized by medieval Christian writers; Medieval writers could hold mutually exclusive views without noticing contradiction (+5 more)

Related

• Medieval terms for non-Christians were used loosely and interchangeably (similarity 0.89)
• Medieval writers ignored Islamic ritual because praising it served no polemic purpose (similarity 0.86)
• Medieval Christians saw Islamic Christology as true yet fatally uncomprehending of key terms (similarity 0.83)
• The social character of Islamic practice went unrecognized by medieval Christian writers (similarity 0.82)
• Medieval worship language did not necessarily imply divine honors (similarity 0.82)
• Medieval authors mislabelled Islamic Christian and Jewish influences as heretical sects (similarity 0.82)
• Medieval Christians understood Islam only as a distorted copy of Christianity (similarity 0.81)
• Medieval interreligious polemics operated without shared evidentiary premises (similarity 0.81)
• Medieval Christians valued Qur’anic Christ references over Islamic monotheism (similarity 0.80)
• Medieval Christian writers assumed Muslim doctrine derived from misinterpreted Scripture (similarity 0.80)
• Medieval attacks on the Qur’an obscured its evident piety to unlearned readers (similarity 0.80)
• Theory outweighed direct observation in medieval European writing about Islam (similarity 0.80)
• Medieval anti-Islamic polemics aimed to fortify Christians rather than convert Muslims (similarity 0.80)
• Medieval Christian polemics could only read Islam as affirming or negating Christianity (similarity 0.80)
• Medieval Christian distaste, not ignorance, distorted portrayals of Islam (similarity 0.79)

Broader Connections

• Medieval terms for non-Christians were used loosely and interchangeably #expands (0.95) — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 2281
• Medieval writers could hold mutually exclusive views without noticing contradiction #expands (0.85)
• The social character of Islamic practice went unrecognized by medieval Christian writers #expands (0.80)
• Medieval Christian-Muslim disputation mostly argued from premises neither side shared #expands (0.80)
• Medieval worship language did not necessarily imply divine honors #complicates (0.80) — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 2479
• Medieval Christians lacked the words ‘Islam’ and ‘Muslim’ entirely #expands (0.75)
• Medieval writers ignored Islamic ritual because praising it served no polemic purpose #expands (0.75)
• Medieval theory trumped direct observation when the two conflicted #qualifies (0.75) — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 1281