Muslims And Christians On The Emmaus Road

Today's tensions between the 'Islamic' East and 'Christian' West run high. Here Paul-Gordon Chandler presents fresh thinking in the area of Christian-Muslim relations, showing how Christ_whom Islam reveres as a Prophet and Christianity worships as the divine Messiah_can close the gap between the two religions. Historically, Christians have taken a confrontational or missionary approach toward Islam, leading many Muslims to identify Christianity with the cultural prejudices and hegemonic ambitions of Westerners. On the individual level, Christ-followers within Islam have traditionally been encouraged by Christians to break away from their Muslim communities. Chandler boldly explores how these two major religions_which share much common heritage_can not only co-exist, but also enrich each other. He illustrates his perspective with examples from the life of Syrian novelist Mazhar Mallouhi, widely read in the Middle East. Mallouhi, a self-identified 'Sufi Muslim follower of Christ,' seeks to bridge the chasm of misunderstanding between Muslims and Christians through his novels.

Seasoned apologist Jeff Morton sets the stage for the Jesus of Christianity and the Jesus of Islam to walk and talk with each other on the Emmaus Road. As they get closer to Jerusalem, their real differences begin to emerge.

From the Crusades to the present day, the interrelationship between Islam and Christianity has been fraught with conflict, both theological and military. Yet events in 20th-century history, particularly the communications revolution, have meant that, after centuries of living in isolation from each other, Christians and Muslims find themselves participating in the same intellectual culture, and are having to review their assumptions about each other. In this work, Zebiri analyzes modern Muslim writings on Christianity and Christian writings on Islam to explore the issues central to Muslim-Christian relations. The literature surveyed is diverse - both popular and scholarly, varying in function, authorship and intended audience. Through its juxtaposition of the mutual perceptions of Muslims and Christians, the book provides an overview of the more important contrasts and similarities between the two religions.

Using vignettes of Muslim-Christian engagement within the Anglican and Lutheran communities from around the world, this book provides thoughtful Anglican and Lutheran responses to Muslim-Christian relationships from a variety of perspectives and contexts, lays the groundwork for ongoing faithful, sensitive, and sincere engagement.