Jamal Awil

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Medieval Christians framed Muhammad as reviving condemned heresies. [fact]

Peter draws a conclusion about Muhammad that is similar to John's, that Muhammad is best understood as following in the line of heretics in the early church: "Vomiting forth almost all of the excrement of the old heresies (which he had drunk up as the devil poured it out), he denies the Trinity with Sabellius, with Nestorius he rejects the divinity of Christ, with Mani he disavows the death of the Lord, though does not deny that he returned to heaven." All of the figures listed by Peter were labeled heretics by early church theologians. A detailed elaboration of their particular teachings is not really necessary to grasp Peter's overall argument. He insisted that many of the basic core beliefs preached by Muhammad originate with the thoughts and writings of those long ago condemned by church leaders.

XREF: Connects to patterns of how polemicists delegitimize rivals by association with already-condemned groups.

Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Intro…, loc. 137