Abstract
At least since the time of Ḥunayn ibn Isḥāq (d. 873) Christian physicians have enjoyed prominent roles in Islamic governments. This article explores the Christian physician's role as mediator between the Christian and Islamic communities, paying special attention to the thirteenth-century Christian physician Muwaffaq al-Dīn Abū Shākir (d. 1216). Abū Shākir appears in the Coptic hagiographic Martyrdom of John of Phanijoit, which portrays him as a mediator trying to dissuade the hero John from seeking public conversion and martyrdom. This article views Abū Shākir in light of the extant sources, examining him as one instance of a Christian mediator whose expert scientific knowledge opens access between the Islamic and Christian religious communities. Abū Shākir's voice is shown to be circumscribed by the ethos of his profession and the expectations of the communities he serves, both Christian and Muslim.
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