Ed West - The Christian Victory That Stopped Europe Becoming Muslim

27 snips

Dec 30, 2025

Ed West, a historian and writer renowned for his works on English history, joins for an insightful discussion on the intersection of Islam, Christianity, and European history. They delve into the pivotal Battle of Tours, exploring how it halted Islamic expansion in Europe. Ed challenges misconceptions about early Islamic conquests and examines the implications of warfare and taxation on religious conversion. The conversation also addresses the decline of Christianity in the Middle East, the historical ties between Britain and Islam, and contemporary identity debates rooted in biblical influence.

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INSIGHT

Christian Warfare Shaped Europe

Christian military resistance shaped European survival against early Islamic expansion.
Theodore Roosevelt's view echoes that where Christians couldn't resist by force, Christianity often disappeared.

INSIGHT

Taxation Drove Many Conversions

Conversion under early Islamic rule was heavily shaped by tax policy and incentives.
Ed West argues fiscal pressure, not purely spiritual appeal, drove many gradual conversions.

INSIGHT

Al-Andalus Outpaced Medieval West

Islamic Spain produced urban civilization far beyond contemporary Western Europe.
Cordoba's size and libraries outclassed Latin Christendom's towns and collections.

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In this episode of The Winston Marshall Show, I sit down with historian and writer Ed West for a wide-ranging conversation on Islam, Christianity, and the civilisational history shaping Britain, Europe, and the modern West.

We begin with the Battle of Tours in 732, and examine whether Christian resistance prevented Europe from becoming Muslim, before tracing the rapid expansion of Islam across the Middle East, North Africa, and Iberia. Ed explains the role of warfare, taxation, and power in religious conversion, and challenges modern myths about a peaceful Islamic golden age.

The discussion moves through the Crusades, Britain’s historical relationship with Islam, Barbary piracy, and Christian slavery, before turning to the decline of Christianity in the Middle East, and the radicalisation of Islam in Western diaspora communities.

We also debate whether Britain and America are Christian or Judeo-Christian societies, exploring the biblical foundations of English law, the influence of the Old Testament, and why this question has returned amid modern political and cultural conflict.

A sharp historical conversation about religion, war, identity, and what the past reveals about the present.

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Chapters

00:00 Introduction

04:23 The Role of Christianity in European Resistance

24:04 The Crusades and the Relationship Between Christianity and Islam

40:08 The British Relationship with Islam

1:01:45 The Decline of the Ottoman Empire and the Rise of British Influence

1:04:48 The Judeo-Christian Tradition in Britain

1:11:03 Judeo-Christian Influence in English History

1:15:04 Young Americans and Political Movements

1:18:34 Interventionism and Anti-Interventionism in American Politics

1:21:16 The Decline of Christianity in the Middle East

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