Francisco J. Cintrón Mattei

Millicent Mercer Johnsen Rome Prize
September 1, 2026–July 2, 2027
Profession
PhD Candidate, Medieval Institute, University of Notre Dame
Project title
The Christian Imamate of Al-Andalus: Law, Society, and Christian Community in the Islamic West
Project description

Starting in the eighth century, Christians living across the Islamic world undertook the first large-scale translation of holy texts from their sacred languages (e.g., Greek, Syriac, Coptic, and Latin) into Arabic. Through Christian-Arabic translations, these authors gave voice to the creeds of their respective churches while also engaging in close dialogue with Islam. My project offers the first monographic study of the Arabic Collectio Hispana from Muslim Spain & Portugal, the westernmost example of a canon law code translated into Arabic. By situating this text within the broader genre of Christian-Arabic literature, I explore how Iberian Christians, much like Eastern Christians, adapted their laws and beliefs to life under Muslim rule. My fellowship in Rome is devoted to the comparative study of Eastern Arabic canon collections to examine how Christians from Iberia to Isfahan responded to the rise of Islam through their own Arabic laws and idioms.