An Exploration of Religious Tolerance in Medieval Spain

Religious Tolerance in Medieval Spain

The Siete Partidas was a Castilian code that was first compiled during the reign of Alfonso X of Castile. This code contained many philosophical and legislative views. The main purpose of the construction of this code was to establish a uniform body within the kingdom, especially with the Jewish and Muslim communities. Based on Title XXIV and Title XXV, the religious minorities at the time were given everything from protections, denials and different treatments regarding their actions towards their particular religion.

The Christians in Castile offered a great variety of protections to religious minorities. The Jews and Muslims were each given religious rights. Both the Jews and the Muslims were to live their lives among the Christian community peacefully and without chaos. They were each allowed to practice their religion as long as they did not speak poorly of the Christian faith.

The Christians took the Jewish religion into great consideration and protected many of their rituals and customs. For instance, there was to be no disciplinary action taken on Saturdays against the Jews. Christians acknowledged that Saturday was the day in which the Jewish took the day to worship and perform their devotions; this was a day in which they left out any form of business and things from the outside world. For this reason being that no one should summon them or bring them into court. The Christians believed that the remaining days of the week was sufficient enough to summon them and take into account their debts. The only exception to this ruling was if a Jew committed a crime such as killing, robbing or stealing. Only in this case a Jew could be arrested and persecuted. To these protections also came conditions between the Christians and Jews. Just as the Christians respected the Jews on a Saturday, the Jews were to also give the same respect to the Christians. This meant that the Jews could not summon nor bring anyone to court on that particular day either.

Some protections for the Muslims were not quite the same as the ones given for the Jews The Christians protected the Moors’ property. As long as they coincided with the Christians peacefully then their property was not to be stolen or forcefully taken away from them.

Just as the Jews and Muslims were given protection by the Christians, they were also restricted rights within their religion. The Jews were to avoid preaching or attempting to convert any Christians to their religion. Anyone who violated this law was to lose all his/her property and put to death. Christians believed that the Jews kidnapped Christian children and killed them for a religious purpose, therefore forbidding them to commit such actions. All parties involved in this particular act was to be arrested and set forth in front of the king, where he decided the verdict on the individuals. The individuals were to be put to death in a graceless manner if they were found guilty by the king. There were also laws that forbid Jews from leaving their homes on Good Friday and if they violated this, Christians could injure or dishonor the Jews without having any protection from the law.

As far as a place of worship, the Christians did not take into account the mosques of the Moors. They were not to have any mosques in Christian towns or allowed to do their practices in public. Also, their building belonged to the king and the king could decide to give them out to whomever he so chose. However, for the Jews, the synagogue was recognized as a place of worship and prayer. Although they were given regulations such as not being able to build a new building of this sort unless it was under the order of the Christians, they were allowed to build upon land in which already had a synagogue. Since the synagogue was a place in which God was praised, the Christians were not allowed to deface its property or cause any sort of harm or damage to it. The synagogue was a place in which Christians could not offend in any way, shape or form.

There was much prejudice when it came to the conversion between Judaism and Christianity and which one was the one converting to which religion. For Jews to convert to Christianity was not deemed a problem. If a Jew wanted to convert to Christianity, he was not to be pressured into it. The Christians were to teach them through their texts of the Holy Scriptures as well as with kindness. By a Jew converting to Christianity by his/her own will, the law protected the converted Jew from anyone who attempted in attacking for his or her decision. All those who are involved in the murder or attacking of individuals are to be burned. However, as much as it was accepted for a Jew to convert to Christianity, the double standards for a Christian’s conversion to Judaism were significant. According to Law VII, it was deemed “unfortunate” for a Christian to become a Jew. Converted individuals were to be put to death and have their property rights treated as if they were pagans. Like the Jews, it was respected for the Christians to accept the conversion of Muslims. The Christians would encourage their conversion by being kind, not using force or violence as well as protect them from anyone who opposed them.

Relations between the Jews and Muslims regarding their relations with the Christians were relatively the same, especially when it came to having sexual encounters with a Christian woman. Both Jews and Muslims were either put to death or stoned if they were found guilty of having intercourse with a Christian woman. But for the just the Jews, their public encounters were to be dealt differently. Since the Jews and Christians were tough to distinguish one from another, the Jews were required to bear a mark on their heads so that they may be recognized as Jews. There was a fine of ten maravedis of gold for every time an individual is found without a mark.

Based on Titles XXIV and XXV of the Siete Partidas, there was a significant amount of prejudice from the Christian community towards the Muslims and Jews during the time of medieval Spain. The Siete Partidas was a stepping-stone in what the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim customs have evolved to be in today’s day in age. Although the majority of the rules and regulations stated within these two titles do not play a role in today’s modern society, it allows the reflection in how the much of a controversy religion has been even since the medieval days.