Conversion Narratives and the Roman Inquisition in Malta, 1650-1700

This article analyses the conversion narratives which Christian renegades to Islam narrated to the inquisitor on their arrival in Malta in the second half of the seventeenth century. A few of them really believed in their new faith and were declared formal heretics, but the great majority had either...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of religious history Vol. 40; no. 4; pp. 508 - 524
Main Author Ciappara, Frans
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Oxford Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.12.2016
Subjects
apostates
Christianity
dissemblers
Inquisition
Islam
Muslims
narratives
Religious conversion
Religious history
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Summary:This article analyses the conversion narratives which Christian renegades to Islam narrated to the inquisitor on their arrival in Malta in the second half of the seventeenth century. A few of them really believed in their new faith and were declared formal heretics, but the great majority had either been brought up as Muslims since a tender age or else were only suspected of believing that one can save oneself as a Muslim. The inquisitors were very indulgent with them and believed them when they said that they preserved the Christian religion in their hearts and were Muslims only on the outside.
Bibliography:istex:FB59F585E2E7A4EBBCB46D614F416139918D249C
ark:/67375/WNG-CD1KQ0TM-5
ArticleID:JORH12323
ISSN:0022-4227
1467-9809
DOI:10.1111/1467-9809.12323