Bartholomew of Edessa
Encyclopedia
Bartholomew of Edessa was a Syrian Christian apologist and polemical writer. The place of his birth is not known; it was probably Edessa
or some neighbouring town, for he was certainly a monk of that city, and in his refutation of Agarenus, he calls himself several times "the monk of Edessa". He is now dated to the thirteenth century
collection. This treatise, as it now stands, opens with a statement of the objections of Muslims against Christianity, among which are the dogmas of the Trinity
, of the Incarnation
, and of confession
. Bartholomew then gives his answers, and makes many counter-charges against Mohammed and his revelation.
The main lines of argumentation are taken from the life of the prophet himself. Bartholomew shows that nothing either in his parentage, education, or life betrays any God-given mission. From this he concludes that Mohammed was an imposter, preaching without any divine credentials.
Bartholomew is well acquainted not only with the Christian position he defends, but also with the positions of his adversaries; he knows the customs, practices, and beliefs of the Arabs, and he boasts that he has read all their books. A second treatise, Contra Muhammedum, is also printed in Migne under the name of Bartholomew of Edessa; but, in spite of the numerous resemblances, explainable otherwise than by identity of authorship, the differences are of such a nature as to make the ascription of it to Bartholomew unjustified. Such are e.g. the names and the number of Mohammed's wives and children; the editor of the Koran; the Nestorian monk who taught Mohammed Christianity, etc.
Edessa, Mesopotamia
Edessa is the Greek name of an Aramaic town in northern Mesopotamia, as refounded by Seleucus I Nicator. For the modern history of the city, see Şanlıurfa.-Names:...
or some neighbouring town, for he was certainly a monk of that city, and in his refutation of Agarenus, he calls himself several times "the monk of Edessa". He is now dated to the thirteenth century
Works
There is a work of his written in Greek, which he directed against one Agarenus, a Muslim. The beginning of the refutation is lost; the title as given by Le Moyne , is Elenchus et Confutatio Agareni. This work may be read in the MigneMigné
Migné is a commune in the Indre department in central France.-References:*...
collection. This treatise, as it now stands, opens with a statement of the objections of Muslims against Christianity, among which are the dogmas of the Trinity
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
, of the Incarnation
Incarnation
Incarnation literally means embodied in flesh or taking on flesh. It refers to the conception and birth of a sentient creature who is the material manifestation of an entity, god or force whose original nature is immaterial....
, and of confession
Confession
This article is for the religious practice of confessing one's sins.Confession is the acknowledgment of sin or wrongs...
. Bartholomew then gives his answers, and makes many counter-charges against Mohammed and his revelation.
The main lines of argumentation are taken from the life of the prophet himself. Bartholomew shows that nothing either in his parentage, education, or life betrays any God-given mission. From this he concludes that Mohammed was an imposter, preaching without any divine credentials.
Bartholomew is well acquainted not only with the Christian position he defends, but also with the positions of his adversaries; he knows the customs, practices, and beliefs of the Arabs, and he boasts that he has read all their books. A second treatise, Contra Muhammedum, is also printed in Migne under the name of Bartholomew of Edessa; but, in spite of the numerous resemblances, explainable otherwise than by identity of authorship, the differences are of such a nature as to make the ascription of it to Bartholomew unjustified. Such are e.g. the names and the number of Mohammed's wives and children; the editor of the Koran; the Nestorian monk who taught Mohammed Christianity, etc.