In Chapter Five, in a more detailed analysis of the aforementioned narrative of Salman al-Farsi’s geographical and spiritual movement from Zoroastrianism, through ascetic Christianity, finally to fulfillment in Islam, Bowman characterizes the tale as ecumenical because of its positive portrayal of most of Salman’s Christian masters. ...a christological resonance in the very fibers of monastic piety cannot easily be squared with the anti-Trinitarian monotheism espoused by Islam from very early in its history. Though to my mind Bowman does not succeed in explaining Muslim interest in monastic piety as a manifestation of a “Believers’ movement,” his portrayal of the manifold interactions of Christian monks and monasteries with Muslims on an official as well as private level is vivid and suggestive, and could serve as an introduction to this rich field for research into a more comprehensive history of the medieval Middle East.