Islam in the Canonical Literature of the Eastern Christian Churches
Keywords:
kanonit, kanoninen oikeus, islam, idän kirkot, kristityt, muslimit, ortodoksisuusAbstract
Considerable parts of Christendom were subjugated to Islamic rule from the seventh century onwards. In the canonical literature of the seventh through the eleventh centuries, however, this shows only sporadically. In Latin and Greek canonical sources, the references to Islamic rule and Muslims deal with the “distant other” whose rule effects Christians living outside Christian rule. Islam receives more attention in Armenian and especially Syriac (both Western and Eastern) canonical sources, in which the problem is the coexistence of Christians and Muslims under Islamic law, the main questions being marriage and apostasy. In modern eyes, the Christian policy was remarkably strict: for example, it was not allowed to consume meat slaughtered in a manner according to Islamic law.
No canonical ruling, however, aims to define Islam in any way. The es- sential difference between Islam and Christianity was taken for granted. As a rule, Muslims were treated just like any other non-Christians: no diplomatic politeness was expressed due to their powerful position, nor were they demonized because of the difficulties caused to Churches and Christians. Even the death penalties of Islamic law did not oblige the Christian canonists to make changes in the traditional Christian positions. It is also noteworthy that the canonical literature does not equate Muslims and Jews, but rather treats them as people belonging to separate categories.
