General Conclusion

Abstract

This chapter concludes that ʿAbdīshōʿ bar Brīkhā wrote his apologies with a centuries-long wealth of tradition behind him. Although he composed these works at a time of heightened religious tensions, his theology belongs to a broader genre of apologetics that had been in continuous development since at least the eighth century. The widespread popularity of apologetics among Syriac- and Arabic-using Christians in the medieval Middle East reveals the very importance of this genre in the articulation of Christian belonging and exclusion. Yet, in ʿAbdīshōʿ’s extensive oeuvre, we have also observed the capacity of this genre to creatively adapt and naturalize models and expressions inspired by Arabic literature and held in common with Islamic philosophy and kalām. This book ends by arguing for the continued use of non-Muslim sources for the study of the religious and intellectual history of the Islamicate world. Based on the vast and rich body of apologetics synthesized and mediated by ʿAbdīshōʿ, the book also argues for the value of studying the continued development and canonization of intellectual and religious traditions rather than focusing solely on their origins.