This historical research study explores the changes of conquered Christians’ social-religious liberties from the first interactions between Christians and Arab-Muslims during the conquests c. A.D. 630 through the the ‘Abbasid era c. A.D. 850. Examining the development of Christian apologetic interaction over time and its effect within Muslim communities, apologetic dialogue and disputation generated a serious concern of apostasy in the Islamic Empire in which later Islamic legal scholars particularly emphasized and restricted Christian apologetics and evangelical actions in universal Islamic law codes, altering Christian social-religious living. This thesis suggests that Christian social-religious liberties did not immediately begin in conflict or legal restraint, but rather gradually developed and became restricted over time because Christians pressed in, crossed over, and challenged the religious beliefs of Islamic confessional communities, potentially prompting Arab-Muslims to convert to Christianity.
","abstract_html":"<p>This historical research study explores the changes of conquered Christians’ social-religious liberties from the first interactions between Christians and Arab-Muslims during the conquests c. A.D. 630 through the the ‘Abbasid era c. A.D. 850. Examining the development of Christian apologetic interaction over time and its effect within Muslim communities, apologetic dialogue and disputation generated a serious concern of apostasy in the Islamic Empire in which later Islamic legal scholars particularly emphasized and restricted Christian apologetics and evangelical actions in universal Islamic law codes, altering Christian social-religious living. This thesis suggests that Christian social-religious liberties did not immediately begin in conflict or legal restraint, but rather gradually developed and became restricted over time because Christians pressed in, crossed over, and challenged the religious beliefs of Islamic confessional communities, potentially prompting Arab-Muslims to convert to Christianity.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Rozek, Michael J"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts (MA)","degree_level":"Open Access Thesis","degree_discipline":"History and Philosophy","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Philip C. Schmitz","John L. Knight"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2017,"date_issued":"2017-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2017-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:17:27Z","subjects":["apologetics","Christian Muslim Relations","dhimmi","Islamic Law","Late Antiquity","Arts and Humanities","History"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://commons.emich.edu/theses/863","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Philip C. Schmitz","John L. Knight"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Rozek, Michael J"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2018-03-15T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["History and Philosophy"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Open Access Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts (MA)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["apologetics","Christian Muslim Relations","dhimmi","Islamic Law","Late Antiquity","Arts and Humanities","History"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/863"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This historical research study explores the changes of conquered Christians’ social-religious liberties from the first interactions between Christians and Arab-Muslims during the conquests c. A.D. 630 through the the ‘Abbasid era c. A.D. 850. Examining the development of Christian apologetic interaction over time and its effect within Muslim communities, apologetic dialogue and disputation generated a serious concern of apostasy in the Islamic Empire in which later Islamic legal scholars particularly emphasized and restricted Christian apologetics and evangelical actions in universal Islamic law codes, altering Christian social-religious living. This thesis suggests that Christian social-religious liberties did not immediately begin in conflict or legal restraint, but rather gradually developed and became restricted over time because Christians pressed in, crossed over, and challenged the religious beliefs of Islamic confessional communities, potentially prompting Arab-Muslims to convert to Christianity.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Shifting landscapes: Christian apologetics and the gradual restriction of dhimmi social religious liberties from the Arab-Muslim conquests to the Abbasid era"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Philip C. Schmitz","John L. Knight"],"dc:creator":["Rozek, Michael J"],"dc:date.available":["2018-03-15T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This historical research study explores the changes of conquered Christians’ social-religious liberties from the first interactions between Christians and Arab-Muslims during the conquests c. A.D. 630 through the the ‘Abbasid era c. A.D. 850. Examining the development of Christian apologetic interaction over time and its effect within Muslim communities, apologetic dialogue and disputation generated a serious concern of apostasy in the Islamic Empire in which later Islamic legal scholars particularly emphasized and restricted Christian apologetics and evangelical actions in universal Islamic law codes, altering Christian social-religious living. This thesis suggests that Christian social-religious liberties did not immediately begin in conflict or legal restraint, but rather gradually developed and became restricted over time because Christians pressed in, crossed over, and challenged the religious beliefs of Islamic confessional communities, potentially prompting Arab-Muslims to convert to Christianity.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/863"],"dc:subject":["apologetics","Christian Muslim Relations","dhimmi","Islamic Law","Late Antiquity","Arts and Humanities","History"],"dc:title":["Shifting landscapes: Christian apologetics and the gradual restriction of dhimmi social religious liberties from the Arab-Muslim conquests to the Abbasid era"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["History and Philosophy"],"thesis:degree_level":["Open Access Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts (MA)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:17:27Z"}