Islam and the English Enlightenment: A Conversation with Professor Humberto Garcia

In this Deep Dive conversation, Prof. Humberto Garcia (University of California, Merced) explains how Islam shaped the English Enlightenment—not as a side story, but as a missing link in debates about toleration, republicanism, secular governance, and liberty. We discuss Garcia’s groundbreaking book Islam and the English Enlightenment (2012) and trace the underground world of manuscript culture where radical Protestant dissenters read the Qur’an, debated the Trinity, and imagined “Protestant Muhammad” as a political symbol—often while facing real danger under blasphemy laws. 👇 Join the conversation Free subscribers to the Islam and the Idea of America community on Substack will receive enriching bonus content, behind-the-scenes insights, and visual resources inspired by each episode. 📜 Episode transcripts and scholarly citations are also available on Substack: https://islamandtheideaofamerica.substack.com 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/islam_and_theideaofamerica/ 📌 In this episode: * Why the Ottoman Empire became a model (and “beating stick”) in England’s internal fights over monarchy, church power, and pluralism * How Henry Stubbe, John Locke, John Toland, and Deists/Socinians/Unitarians/Quakers engaged Islam in the 1600s * Why the Turkish Spy Letters mattered as a fictional vehicle for radical ideas—and why they were read for centuries * How the Siege of Vienna (1683) complicates the “clash of civilizations” narrative * Why Enlightenment “secularization” was often shaped through religious debate, not the rejection of religion * Thomas Jefferson’s Qur’an (George Sale translation) and the idea of Muhammad as lawgiver—and how these debates echo into modern America (including Keith Ellison’s 2006 ceremonial oath) This episode is part of Islam and the Idea of America, a podcast exploring how Islamic ideas and encounters helped shape the modern West—and America’s founding debates. 📚 Featured works Humberto Garcia, Islam and the English Enlightenment, 1670-1840 https://www.amazon.com/English-Enlightenment-1670-1840-Humberto-Garcia/dp/1421403536/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0 Denise A. Spellberg, Thomas Jefferson’s Qur’an: Islam and the Founders https://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Jeffersons-Quran-Islam-Founders/dp/0307388395 🔔 Subscribe for future Deep Dives on Deism, Romanticism, Orientalism, Sufism, Emerson, and the long afterlife of these Enlightenment debates. ▶️ Watch / Listen / Subscribe (all links): https://linktr.ee/islamandtheideaofamerica #Islam #Enlightenment #JohnLocke #ThomasJefferson #americanhistory #america250 #OttomanEmpire #Quran #HistoryPodcast #PoliticalPhilosophy #ReligiousToleration #Orientalism #DeepDive #islamandtheideaofamerica 🎵 Credits (Music Tracks) The background music licensed via Podcastle, November 7, 2025: Eternal Mountain – License Code: JCJF5KZV2EIFJ9AE It's used under active Podcastle Pro subscription, royalty-free with proper license document. About the Channel: Islam and the Idea of America explores how Islamic thought helped shape the moral and intellectual foundations of the modern West — from Jefferson’s Qur’an to Emerson’s Sufi writings. 🎧 Podcast • 📜 Substack • 🎥 Documentary Series © 2025 Islam and the Idea of America. All rights reserved.