The Muslims only expanded into Orthodox and Arian Europe.
>>18284151Sicily, north Africa, and western Europe were all Catholicized prior to that time. The Arians were whittled down by the beginning of the 400s.
>>18284157All these places were in the hands of Orthodox or Arian rulers. God swatted them out so the rightful could reclaim them righteously.
>>18284151There were no Arian rulers by the 7th century in Europe. The Visigoths converted over a century beforehand.
>>18284151God gives the hardest trials to his bravest followers.
>>18284158Careful - it could be that Satan's fine with you handling yourself!
>>18284151Sicily and Sardinia were Catholic>>18284157Iberia was Arian, North Africa was mostly pagan but under the yoke of the greek orthodox empire
>>18284168A hundred years is not enough time to instill proper faith.
>>18284177>Iberia was ArianAre you basing this on assumptions about the Visigoths? I have heard that many of the pre 9th century authors from Spain are forged, so it could be that the entire realm was far less Catholic than previously believed.>North Africa was mostly paganMaybe- I'm mostly basing my assumption on its Catholicism on the personage and influence of Augustine.
>>18284177Sicily only came under Catholic rule with the Normans, and Sardinia was never controlled by Muslims, the map itself only talks of contestation.
>>18284157North africa where mostly berber pagans and syncretics
>>18284168The last Arian king in Europe was a Lombard in Southern Italy during the 6th century iirc.
>>18284180>Iberia was ArianHasn't been true for centuries before the Arabs.>North Africa was mostly pagan but under the yoke of the greek orthodox empireBoth the locals and Numidians were largely Christians. Even in the late 4th century there were large scale, rural rebellions associated with the Donatists. >>18284180>I have heard that many of the pre 9th century authors from Spain are forgedThey aren't.
>>18284226>Hasn't been true for centuries before the Arabs.Basis?>Both the locals and Numidians were largely ChristiansSure, but that doesn't disprove his point about being syncretics.>They aren't.Basis for claim? Every single author from 1st millennium Spain seems to have an addendum or notation warning about being a possible forgery. I can't think of a single exception.
>>18284234>Basis?The fact that most of the population was never Arian as it was limited to the Visigoths, and they stopped being Arian in 589. There is no evidence of any Arian bishops or community in Iberia by the 700's.>Sure, but that doesn't disprove his point about being syncretics.Christianity hardly ever practiced syncretism. It was limited to mainly aspects of Roman culture rather than religious practice. >I can't think of a single exception.I can't think of a single example that points to wide spread forgery in Iberia. This is a point you just made up.
>>18284151Visogotgic Spain had comverted back to Catholicism before the Islamic conquest.God allowed the Orthodox to be invaded the same way he let Ancient Israel be invaded & genocided multiple times. The tribulation returns prodigal sons to God. Same with communism.
>>18284151The strength of a church is measured in martyrs, not territory.
>>18284178>A hundred years is not enough time to instill proper faith.133 AD Christians disagree
>>18284226Absolutely notNorth africans where mostly berber pagans and syncretics Christians where a minority that where largerly in some urban centers
