CONVERSIO - Conversion, apostasy and religious change in Early Medieval Iberia

Cultural clashes, encounters and exchanges are part and parcel of what makes us humans. Throughout the history of humanity, uncountable encounters are documented, and even though these exchanges are not always equal in terms of the consequences they have for the groups involved, it is certain they all mutually influence each other, a process that brings about change. Religious conversion is one example of such encounters and exchanges, in which an old faith and world view must be substituted by a new one. The process of religious conversion can be highly diverse, but one feature remains the same: a converter that changes from one religion to another will inevitably be also an apostate. Thus, conversion and apostasy are two sides of the same coin. CONVERSIO will study the complex phenomenon of religious conversion and apostasy in Early Medieval Iberia, a region that offers an interesting case study because it witnessed multiple waves of migrations and conversions across its history. CONVERSIO puts contemporary discussions of culture clashes and the role of religion in society into historical context through a thorough reappraisal of earlier episodes of momentous religious change. This project aims to analyse Christian Latin sources relating to the conversion and apostasy of other peoples to Christianity and vice-versa, focusing on the interaction between Christians, Jews and Muslims from the 5th to the 9th century in Early medieval Iberia during the Visigothic Kingdom and the first period of Islamic domination.The analysis will investigate legal and religious discourse about apostates in order to understand how and why apostates were seen and dealt with, with so harsh measures. Ultimately, I aim to understand how the significance that religious communities ascribe to the ‘crime’ of apostasy can provide precious information about the solidity and coherence of their own religious identity.