Historical Overview of Inter-Faith Relations in the Islamic Countries: The Presence of Christian Monks and Monasteries as Signposts of Faith

Abstract

This paper examines a little known aspect of the history of inter-faith relations in Muslim countries; the presence and role of Christian monks and monasteries. Particular attention is given to Muslim attitudes and writings on monasticsm, including in the Qur’an and Hadith, the 9th century in Iraq as an important period of Muslim-Christian interactions, and present and future implications of Christian monasteries in inter-faith relations. By describing these institutions and their place in Islamic society, it is hoped that an alternate story can be told to the usually dominant paradigm of Crusade/Jihad based discourse.