Christian Martyrs in Muslim Spain

Book excerpt: Originally published in 1988, this book offers an important insight into the so-called 'martyrdom movement' that occurred in Córdoba in the 850s. It includes a biographical treatment of the ninth-century Cordoban priest Eulogius, who witnessed and recorded the martyrdoms of over forty Christians at the hands of Muslim authorities. Eulogius' hagiographical task was complicated by the fact that many of the Christians in Córdoba at the time resented the provocative actions of the martyrs that led to their executions, claiming that their public denunciations of Islam were inappropriate given the relative tolerance of the emir. This book will be of value to scholars and others with an interest in the history of Muslim Spain, the history of Muslim-Christian interaction, and historical ideas of sanctity.