ABSTRACT
Although it is known that Arabic-speaking tribes who identified themselves as Christian inhabited the Arabian Peninsula as early as 340 (Hoyland 2001: 30), the first texts on theological topics composed in Arabic do not appear until around the middle of the eighth century. Previous to this, Syriac and Greek traditions dominated as the liturgical and theological idioms, giving way to Arabic only as the ʿAbbāsid dynasty gained power and influence over non-Muslim society. At this point, Christians of all denominations, Melkite, Jacobite and Nestorian (as they are usually designated in the texts), exhibit a sense of urgency to communicate their teachings and faith in the new lingua franca of the empire.
