The Republic of Arabic Letters: Islam and the European Enlightenment

Bevilacqua, a professor of history at Williams College, gives a succinct and erudite overview of 17th- and 18th-century European scholars and writers who focused on Islamic studies. Bevilacqua centers his account mainly on histories of Islam; library collections of Arabic, Persian, and Turkish texts; and the first translations of the Qur’an into European languages. The many scholars listed (Ibn Abi Zamanin, Gregorious Bar Hebraeus, Pseudo-Waqidi, Katid Celebi, among others) originated from all across Europe and are relatively obscure today. Bevilacqua’s research sheds light on their backgrounds, perspectives on Islam, and scholarly output. Fascinatingly, the book also outlines the connections between these scholars and the Catholic Church; one of the early library collections of Qur’anic texts was commissioned by Pope Clement XI. The most interesting aspect of the book is Bevilacqua’s argument that these scholars competed with and exchanged ideas with each other, and influenced prominent Enlightenment thinkers such as Montesquieu and Voltaire. Unfortunately, this aspect is shortchanged as the book strives for breadth rather than depth. Bevilacqua’s work will be valuable for students or scholars, but is unlikely to appeal to lay readers. (Feb.)

Correction: An earlier version of this review misstated the gender of the book's author.