The Enlightenment’s Surprising View of Muhammad | Prof. John Tolan

How did European debates about Islam shape the intellectual world that eventually influenced the American Revolution? In this episode of Deep Dive series, historian John Tolan joins us for a deep conversation about his remarkable book, Faces of Muhammad: Western Perceptions of the Prophet of Islam from the Middle Ages to Today. Full playlist of Deep Dive series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLALpVev6_EFwBYP_9Pc161mWPUWPRgM5y&si=EjMo_4zncbO15lfE You can listen & watch the episodes of this podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6v8n1mDHe5ogsIaukdpk6j Listen on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/islam-and-the-idea-of-america-a-forgotten-history/id1852371150 For centuries, Europeans debated the meaning of Islam and the figure of the Prophet Muhammad. Sometimes he was portrayed as a heretic or impostor. At other times he appeared as a lawgiver, reformer, or even a hero. But why did these portrayals change so dramatically? In this conversation, we explore how Christians, Enlightenment thinkers, revolutionaries, and even Napoleon used Islam as a mirror to debate their own societies: • How Protestants and Catholics used Islam against each other during the Reformation • The surprising role Islam played in the political debates of Revolutionary England • Why Enlightenment thinkers began to portray Muhammad as a hero and lawgiver • The strange story of Napoleon celebrating the Prophet’s birthday in Egypt • Whether Enlightenment discussions of Islam influenced ideas that later shaped the American Revolution • How Jewish Enlightenment thinkers engaged with Islamic history This episode reveals a forgotten intellectual history: Europe’s long fascination with Islam — a story full of fear, admiration, polemic, and philosophical curiosity. Rather than a simple clash of civilizations, the history of Europe and Islam is a history of mirrors, debates, and shared intellectual worlds. If you enjoy deep historical conversations about religion, politics, and ideas, this episode is for you. 📚 Guest John Tolan — historian of medieval and early modern relations between Europe and Islam. 📖 Book discussed Faces of Muhammad: Western Perceptions of the Prophet of Islam from the Middle Ages to Today https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691167060/faces-of-muhammad 🎧 Subscribe for more conversations on the shared intellectual history between the Islamic world and the West. 💡 If You Like This, You’ll Love This Podcast: • If you enjoyed ‪ @EmirSteinCenter videos featuring John Tolan, you’ll love this podcast. ▶️ Watch / Listen / Subscribe (all links): https://linktr.ee/islamandtheideaofamerica 📜 Episode transcripts and scholarly citations are available on Substack: https://islamandtheideaofamerica.substack.com 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/islam_and_theideaofamerica/ #Islam #Enlightenment #JohnLocke #ThomasJefferson #americanhistory #america250 #OttomanEmpire #Quran #HistoryPodcast #PoliticalPhilosophy #ReligiousToleration #Orientalism #DeepDive #islamandtheideaofamerica ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 The story behind Faces of Muhammad 03:23 When Protestants and Catholics used Islam against each other 07:47 Islam in Revolutionary England 10:08 Fear and fascination: Europe’s contradictory views of Islam 13:38 Enlightenment thinkers rediscover Muhammad 16:52 Napoleon in Egypt and the Mawlid celebrations 20:18 Did Enlightenment debates about Islam influence America? 22:45 Jewish Enlightenment thinkers and Islam 🎵 Credits (Music Tracks) The background music licensed via Async, March 6, 2026: Eternal Mountain – License Code: MNRR5BAN7CHII2TQ It's used under active Async Pro subscription, royalty-free with proper license documentation on file. 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 • 🎥 Document