I saw most of the first part of Mayor Johnson's new TV documentary on Saturday. After Rome: Holy War and Conquest was erudite, engaging and displayed on its author's part a measured inquisitiveness about Islam in particular that was pleasingly at odds with past outbursts in his newspaper columns. I've made a mental note to watch part two.
Alas, my enthusiasm is not shared by John Milbank, Professor of Religion, Politics and Ethics at the University of Nottingham, who has posted a vigorous critique at Johnson's website. I quote:
Ironically, as a Labour voter, I found this programme to be far too liberal and multiculturalist. Just not Tory enough!! It also reeks somewhat of Oxford classicist anti-Christianity, which to my mind is completely antithetical to Toryism. After a good start and despite a fine presentational style and rebutting of certain myths, it perpetuated certain others about Islamic civilisation that the best recent continental research...has destroyed.
Good Lord. The professor continues:
To its credit the programme did gently knock the myth of Islamic tolerance, but surely it glossed over the rapaciousness of Arabic conquest. On the crusades it caricatured. Genuine concern for the holy places was not mentioned, nor the fact that this was in many ways a defensive war — Jerusalem being seen as an integral part of Christendom. As for the theology of merit linked to the crusades — this was in part ironically borrowed from Islamic jihadist theology, and was refused by Byzantium. Of course the terrors of hell were a factor in the Latin west but to overstress them yet again is a cliche that ignores so much else — to say the least.
Yes indeed. Quite so. Well, maybe...
The mayor has yet to join online battle. This might be wise. Not only does Professor Milbank have impressive form in his field, the media would make a meal of it. And we wouldn't want that, would we?
