The Arab Christ

Centuries before the existence of the Islamic faith, there were Arabs who could be described as Christian. And there has been a Christian Arabism, an Arab Christianity, since Muhammad's day. Arab Christianity has survived Muslin dominance, and this enlightening book takes an in-depth look at its survival.

A reflection on Christianity in Arab society. This work explores the Christian faith in the current intercultural context of Arab societies. It argues that Arab Christianity seeks to express the Christian faith through openness to Muslim otherness, existential conviviality, and fraternal solidarity. In order to safeguard not only the physical existence of these communities but also and above all the relevance and richness of their message of life, the theological reflection presented here takes on a three-part task. First, it faithfully describes the sociopolitical and sociocultural reality of the historical integration of Arab Christian communities. Second, it reinterprets the content of the Christ event with reference to the challenge of Muslim otherness. And finally, it offers a path for conversion that involves a form not only of evangelical practice, designed to foster bonds of fraternal solidarity between the inhabitants of the Arab world but also of shared spiritual quest for moral and political commitment.

In Jesus of Arabia, the Reverend Canon Andrew Thompson introduces an unfamiliar Jesus—Jesus in the context of his home in the Middle East. Whether readers believe Jesus to be a prophet or the messiah, Thompson enhances our understanding of his work and character by looking at his social context as a man and Middle Easterner. Jesus’s teachings take on new meaning as Thompson explores themes including family in Arabia, gender roles in the region, food culture, and more. Jesus of Arabia looks at the bridges between Islam and Christianity through the figure of Jesus and how the two communities may reflect each other despite their differences. Thompson draws on his experience as a priest in the Anglican Church and his many years living in the Middle East to analyze the often conflicting roles and loyalties concerning family, culture, and God. A timely and incisive work, Jesus of Arabia invites us to consider contemporary views of the Middle East and how a figure like Jesus might be received today.

This collection illustrates the place of the Bible in Arab Christianity as a source of authority and information about Christian experiences under early Islam, and the importance attached to upholding its authenticity in the face of Muslim criticisms.

An examination of how, at the close of the Roman Empire, Christianity influenced the political and social philosophy of the peoples of the Near East, laying the groundwork for the blending of religious and ethnic identity that we see in the Middle East today.

Arab Christians and the Qurʾan from the Origins of Islam to the Medieval Period is a collection of essays edited by Mark Beaumont on the use and interpretation of the Qur’an by Christians writing in Arabic from the eighth to the thirteenth century.

Go beyond mere tolerance to a passion for Muslims. This book explains how that can be done in ways that are sensitive to Islamic culture and provides suggestions on how to build vital relationships with Muslims.