From dialogue to disputation in the age of Archbishop Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada

Abstract

The Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa is here viewed within the broader context of interfaith relations in Iberia during the thirteenth century. Particular attention is given to Archbishop Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada, his historical and polemic writings, and his relations with multiple communities inside and outside of Spain. The period of Las Navas coincided not only with the military ascendency of Christian Spain, but also with a general evolution from polemical dialogue (a written form) to interfaith disputation (a cultural practice) during these critical decades of the Reconquest. The full deployment of disputational strategies toward Jews and Muslims would likely not have been possible without the combined military and rhetorical activities initiated by an Archbishop with international connections and ambitions.