García-Arenal Mercedes

Mercedes García-Arenal is a Research Professor at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) in Madrid since 1990, specializing in the Late Medieval and Early Modern Muslim West, religious minorities, and interfaith dynamics. She has held visiting appointments at Princeton, Harvard, and London institutions.

• Ph.D. in Arabic and Islamic Studies (Universidad Complutense, 1976)
• B.A/M.A. in Arabic and Hebrew Studies (Universidad Complutense, 1972)

Her research focuses on conversion, identity formation, and religious conflict in Iberia and the Maghreb, with particular attention to Mudejars/Moriscos and Jewish communities. Current work examines religious dissimulation and polemics. Her publications span 70+ articles and multiple monographs.

Her recent academic honors include the 2012 European Research Council Advanced Grant and invitations to deliver lectures at Princeton, Harvard, and Cambridge. She has chaired Ph.D. committees at Universidad Complutense, Barcelona, and the University of Chicago.