Talented Christians in medieval Spain preferred Arabic learning over Latin.

Evidence

The Christians love to read the poems and romances of the Arabs; they study the Arab theologians and philosophers, not to refute them but to form a correct and elegant Arabic [sic]. Where is the layman who now reads the Latin commentaries on the Holy Scriptures, or who studies the Gospels, prophets or apostles? Alas! all talented young Christians read and study with enthusiasm the Arab books; they gather immense libraries at great expense; they despise the Christian language as unworthy of attention. They have forgotten their language. For every one who can write a letter in Latin to a friend, there are a thousand who can express themselves in Arabic with elegance, and write better poems in this language than the Arabs themselves. — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 54

In the ninth century Paul Alvarus denounced those Christians who were engaged in ‘building up great libraries of them [Arabic writings] at enormous cost… hardly one can write a passable Latin letter to a friend, but innumerable are those who can express themselves in Arabic and can compose poetry in that language better than the Arabs themselves’. Christians in Spain pursued the study of Arabic philosophy, theology, science and so forth while neglecting their Latin and indeed their own faith. — Robert Irwin, For Lust of Knowing, 56

Categorization

• XREF: Parallels the current anxiety over Western students abandoning traditional canons for globalized learning — Alvarus is a medieval culture-war voice. — connects to: Medieval Christians respected Islamic civilization even while they knew Muslims as others. — Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Introduction to…, 200; Byzantine Orthodox preferred Muslim conquest over theological compromise with Latin Christians — Ali Qureshi, The Fall of Constantinople: A Critical…, 25; Islamic civilization preserved ancient learning and stimulated Western scholasticism — Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, 1634 (+1 more)
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 54; Robert Irwin, For Lust of Knowing: The Orientalists…, 56

Broader Connections

• Byzantine Orthodox preferred Muslim conquest over theological compromise with Latin Christians #corroborates (0.55) — Ali Qureshi, The Fall of Constantinople, 25
• Islamic civilization preserved ancient learning and stimulated Western scholasticism #expands (0.50) — Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, 1634
• Orthodox Christians preferred Ottoman rule because it shielded them from Latin interference. #corroborates (0.50) — Ali Qureshi, The Fall of Constantinople, 42