ABSTRACT
Islam and Christianity represent relatively new arrivals on the Southeast Asian religious stage, compared with the deep roots thrown down by Hinduism and Buddhism in the region, and the even longer presence of primal and ancestral religions. However, the interaction between Muslims and Christians has had a profound impact over the last half millennium and more, especially in insular Southeast Asia. This paper traces the arrival and establishment of Islam and Christianity in Southeast Asia, initially via individuals and small groups and later through the creation of larger communities and city states. Attention will fall on prominent Muslim and Christian individuals and their writings, with particular focus on the period between the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries. A theme of transmission of stereotypes will be considered, relating to attitudes shaped in the Middle East and Europe in earlier centuries that were transferred during the establishment of the two faiths in the Southeast Asian region. The paper will reflect a diverse set of relationships between Christians and Muslims, ranging from polemical interactions to more open attitudes of tolerance and at times partnership.
