Embracing the Text: Stories of Conversion in Sixteenth Century Spain and Beyond

The population of Iberian Muslims who had been converted to Christianity, Moriscos, was marked by its diversity. While most Moriscos worked as tradesmen, making silk or working fields of fruits for example, many Morisco merchants and land-owners populated the higher echelons of Iberian society. Some Moriscos spoke Arabic as their first language while others spoke only Castilian, Aragonese, or a different Romance dialect. The disparate nature of this community extends to their religious beliefs as well: some Moriscos appeared to fully embrace their conversion to Catholicism while a great many others refused to accept it and continued to practice Islam in secret. The one salient and ubiquitous characteristic of this group was, in fact, the experience of conversion.

The study contains a close reading of four Morisco narratives which present the reader with the conversion experience of some of the most foundational members of the early Islamic movement. By examining a theme that would have been very relevant to every Morisco reader, this dissertation shows how Moriscos positioned themselves within a society that was becoming ever more intolerant of their perceived, and real refusal to accept Catholicism and Spanish Catholic social norms.

Hultgren, Robert. 2021. “Embracing the Text: Stories of Conversion in Sixteenth Century Spain and Beyond.” PhD, Minnesota, USA: University of Minnesota.