A Muslim View of Christianity Essays on Dialogue

includes index and biblioraphy

Part 1 THE NEED FOR DIALOGUE Setting the Context 1. The Need for Harmony and Collaboration between Muslims and Christians 9 2. The Islamic Context of Muslim-Christian Relations 17 Confrontation and Accommodation: The Case of the Qur`an 18 Confrontation and Accommodation: The Hadith Tradition 23 Conversion and the Freedom of Faith 28 3. Islam and Christianity Between Tolerance and Acceptance 32 4. Roots of Muslim-Christian Conflict 42 Supersessionism and the Universality of Truth 43 The Crusades Old and New 46 Colonialization, Evangelization, and Orientalism 50 New Horizons 58 5. Christian-Muslim Dialogue Goals and Obstacles 64 Immediate and Long-term Goals 65 Types of Dialogue 67 Insurmountable Obstacles? 68 Part II CRITICAL THEOLOGICAL AND JURIDICAL ISSUES A Comparative Perspective 6. A Muslim Appreciation of Christian Holiness 73 The Basis of Holiness in Christianity 73 At the Center of Christian Holiness: Baptism and Eucharist 74 Mystery, Dogma, and Piety in Western Christianity 76 Mystical Theology of Deification in Eastern Christianity 77 God`s Holiness and Sanctification of Human Beings 77 Muslim Point of View: Holiness or Righteousness? 78 Conclusion 78 7. Martyrdom in Christianity and Islam 80 8. The Idea of Redemption in Christianity and Islam 90 9. Dhimmah in the Qur`an and Hadith 98 Lexical Meanings of Dhimmah 98 The Application of Dhimmah in the Qur`an and Hadith 99 Dhimmah as a Code of Governing Human Relations 101 Dhimmah and the People of the Book 102 Part III CHRISTOLOGICAL ISSUES Muslim Perspectives 10. The Miracle of Jesus Muslim Reflections on the Divine Word 111 11. Jesus the Son of God A Study of the Terms Ibn and Walad in the Qur`an and Tafslr Tradition 117 12. Toward an Islamic Christology I An Image of]esus in Early Shi`i Muslim Literature 134 Introduction 134 Scope, Method, and Sources 135 Texts in Translation 139 Conclusion 152 13. Toward an Islamic Christology II The Death of Jesus, Reality or Delusion- A Study of the Death of Jesus in Tafslr Literature 156 Introduction 156 Jesus, "The Word of Truth" (Q. 19:34) 157 Who Died on the Cross? 159 Did Jesus Die? 166 The Search for Meaning: Some Modern Attitudes 171 Conclusion 175 Appendix I: An Early Muslim Account of the Passion 177 Appendix II: The Christ of Sufism 179 Part IV MUSLIM-CHRISTIAN DIALOGUE IN THE MODERN WORLD Comparative Studies 14. Nearest in Amity Christians in the Qur`an and Contemporary Exegetical Tradition 187 Introduction 187 The Religious Worldview of the Qur`an 188 Qur`anic Pluralism and Muslim Exclusivism 190 The Qur`anic Call for Dialogue and Muslim-Christian Rivalry 201 Conclusion 208 15. Muslim Views of Christianity Some Modern Examples 212 Introduction 212 Apologetics: In Defense of Islam 213 Polemics: Refutation of Christianity 221 Conclusion 229 16. Pope John Paul II on Islam 232 Historical Overview 232 New Hopes and Old Prejudices 233 Dialogue or Evangelization? 240 Conclusion 243