Christian-Muslim Dialogue Research Articles

Muslim-Christian Dialogue from the Nigerian and Pakistani Perspective: A Theological Discussion

Muslim-Christian dialogue is one of the most common dialogues around the globe. Even though the interreligious dialogue is accepted in Muslim countries, the discussions in Nigeria and Pakistan are facing challenges. This paper, therefore, intends to examine the Nigerian and Pakistani perspectives on Muslim-Christian dialogue to analyse its legality or otherwise from the main sources of the two religions. This is qualitative research comprising the historical and contextual approach of the Qur’ān, Hadith, and the Bible as well as views of Islamic scholars and Christian clergies. The findings reveal that Islam and Christianity not only acknowledge dialogue between Muslims and Christians but encourage it among other religions for the establishment of peaceful coexistence and sustainable development of a community. This paper, therefore, recommends that Nigerian and Pakistani Muslim scholars should give extra energy to enlighten Muslims to understand that interreligious dialogue does not in any way mean to unify Islam with Christianity.

Ignoring the Bible in Qur’anic Studies Scholarship of the Late Twentieth Century

This article discusses the major factors behind an oddity in the development of Western Qur’anic studies, the lack of attention to the relationship between the Qur’an and Biblical tradition in the latter half of the twentieth century. This topic represented an important focus in the field up until the 1930s, after which it was relatively neglected throughout the remainder of the twentieth century. It has been taken up again with renewed energy in the present century. Several factors contributed to this development, including the historical configuration of the field of Qur’anic studies into separate research silos, the dispersion of the nucleus of the field in Germany after the National Socialist Party gained power in 1933, the desire to carry on Christian–Muslim dialogue, and the decrial on the part of religious studies scholars of philological obsession with origins and facile theories of influence along with a concomitant move to focus on Muslim commentaries on the Qur’an.

Christian Muslim Dialogue in the Context of Interfaith Relations in Africa.

Christian Muslim Dialogue in the Context of Interfaith Relations in Africa.

Care for the Poor, Care for the Earth: Christian-Muslim Dialogue on Development

Abstract Concerns for the vulnerable, the poor and marginalised, both human and non-human, are central to the Christian and Muslim religions. This special issue focuses on the one hand on Catholic social thought and practice with regard to care for the poor and care for the earth, and on the other hand on historical and contemporary Islamic social thought and practice. In this introduction, we set the context of the dialogue and of this special issue. At a general level, we emphasise the centrality of love of God and love of neighbour in both Christianity and Islam. We then focus on the Catholic and Sunni traditions. We discuss how each understands the relationship between love of God/love of neighbour and the different organisational structures and practices which express this love. We highlight some commonalities and differences between teachings, organisational structures and historical and social contexts. We conclude by outlining some areas of mutual learning with regard to the centrality of care for the poor and for the earth in both religions.

Divine Design and the Creation-Evolution Debate as Questions for Christian-Muslim Dialogue

ABSTRACT Inter-religious discussion on science and religion can help focus on neglected theological and metaphysical aspects. Here, I consider two examples of this: (1) the effect of models of divine action on design arguments, and (2) the effect of theological hermeneutics on the creation-evolution debate. Regarding design arguments, I analyze and respond to Shoaib A. Malik’s four Ashʿari criticisms of the design argument. Regarding theological hermeneutics, and building on Malik’s analysis, I use the debates over the Age of the Earth and the Flood as a test case of the differences between Christian and Muslim ways of interpretation.

The Perspective of Peace or Fear for the Future? An Attempt to Evaluate Christian-Muslim Dialogue

The paper indicates the diagnosis the Christian-Muslim dialogue conducted by the Catholic Church, especially taking into account the indications of the Second Vatican Council. The question arises whether the mutual discourse of the representatives of the two religions is currently giving rise to a perspective of peace, or rather fear for the future? There is no denying that militant Islam accentuates the escalation of violence. These behaviors can give rise to fear and questions about the possibility of coexistence in this world. These events build up the circumstances of our time, which theology must to explain. To examine the wider context, the teaching of Vatican II on dialogue with Islam was recalled, and the teaching and actions of the post-Conciliar popes were recalled. This effort clearly indicated the possibility of cooperation, but also delineated the limits, which the Church must not cross. Therefore, although there is a real opportunity to develop joint projects, there are also significant limitations. Moreover, as practice shows, the Church's benevolent gestures often fall on deaf ears, and it seems that this effort is inadequate to the expected fruits of dialogue. Therefore, the possibility of dialogue can be discovered in Catholic Mariology. The person of Mary can become the reason for Muslims to turn to Christianity, which is shown by certain indications of the piety of the followers of Islam towards Mary. It is also an important premise for the Church to rely less on human action and strategy lined with diplomacy and politics. It is necessary to pray much more for the conversion of Muslims, so that God Himself may do the work of changing the hearts of the followers of Islam.

Pope Benedict and Muslim–Christian Dialogue

ABSTRACT Following the death of Pope Benedict (formerly Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger) on 31 December 2022, many reflected on his legacy and impact. This article aims to examine his contribution to and impact on Islamic–Christian dialogue by examining his writings, most notably the Regensburg address, as well as Dominus Iesus. The essay will also examine the approach to Muslim–Christian dialogue of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, and his successor, Pope Francis, in the process showing how these three pontiffs’ approaches to Islamic–Christian dialogue both build on and differ from one another. It will also consider how Catholic–Muslim dialogue continues to develop and how the papacy continues to adapt to changing contexts that shape its relations with Islam. It will look in particular at how Muslim–Catholic dialogue during the pontificate of John Paul II was shaped by Cold War concerns and, in contrast, how Benedict’s comments about Islam were shaped by and fed into the War on Terror discourse. It will then briefly make the argument that Francis, through his visits, most notably to Iraq in March of 2021, seems to be engaged in building a post-War on Terror phase of Muslim–Christian relations.

Spirit, Word and Love: Insights of Pietro Rossano towards a Mystical Theology of the Christian-Muslim Dialogue

Pietro Rossano was an important protagonist of interreligious dialogue in the 20th century, serving for more than twenty years in the Vatican office in charge of this field. His experience and writings show how dialogue has many anthropological and theological dimensions and, because we are talking about an event between religious people, dialogue also has a mystical dimension. Rossano was very involved in the dialogue with Muslims, both in the theoretical study and in some meetings, like the one in Tripoli in 1976 and others. Spirit, Word and Love can be seen as the three keys to interpreting Rossano’s testimony in relation to the Bible, to dialogical thought—in particular, Ferdinand Ebner—and to the Christian theology of dialogue.

The first ever edition of the Quran Latin translation published in 1543 — Milestone in the history of Christian-Muslim dialogue

The article focuses on a Book that formed the basis of knowledge about Islam and the Quran in Europe in the early modern period. It was the first edition of the Latin translation of the Quran, published in Zurich in 1543. It was prepared by the Swiss theologian and orientalist T. Bibliander. T. Bibliander’s edition is notable for being one of the first in Europe for applying a humanistic methodology of philological analysis to the text of the Quran. Moreover, in his study T. Bibliander stepped out of both the paradigm of radical medieval anti-Islamic polemics and the mainstream of new reformist apologetics, and tried to present Islam and Muslims in a humanistic way, trying not to close the way of salvation in the Christian sense to them. T. Bibliander’s edition of the Quran, accompanied by extensive commentaries and a number of works on Islam and Muslims (including prefaces by the leaders of the Reform movement, M. Luther and F. Melanchthon), had a truly encyclopaedic character and marked a significant step towards the creation of a scientific Islamic studies in Europe, thus paving the way for further Christian-Muslim dialogue.

Factors Influencing Australian Muslims’ Attitudes toward Christian-Muslim Dialogue: The Case of Sunni Muslims of Adelaide and Uniting Church Christians

Since the implementation of a multicultural policy in the 1970s, religious diversity in Australia has increased. Research has demonstrated that intergroup contact is essential for managing diverse multicultural societies. This is because, given the right conditions, intergroup contact will reduce prejudice and build trust between groups. Given the importance of intergroup contact, policy makers and researchers have identified interfaith dialogue’s importance to the success of multicultural societies. However, there is very limited research that explores interfaith dialogue from the perspectives of adherents, in this case Christians and Muslims in the Australian context. This paper focuses on interfaith dialogue between Christians of the Uniting Church and Sunni Muslims of Adelaide, South Australia. It explores the factors that influence participants’ attitudes towards engaging in interfaith dialogue. Using a grounded theory methodology, the study involved seventeen (17) mixed gender Muslim participants over the age of eighteen, including everyday adherents and religious leaders. Some of the key findings demonstrate that theological perspectives and notions of multicultural citizenship are positive drivers for dialogue; Islamophobia and dehumanization of Muslims were inhibitors.

Vetera Novis Augere et Perficere: Thomas Aquinas and Christian-Muslim Dialogue

Vetera Novis Augere et Perficere:Thomas Aquinas and Christian-Muslim Dialogue Joseph Ellul, O.P. Pope Leo XIII's encyclical letter Aeterni Patris, issued on August 4, 1879, sought to address many issues that were challenging nineteenth-century Catholic scholarship and academic life. In proposing the thought of Thomas Aquinas as a model of Catholic teaching, the Pope intended, in his own words, "to strengthen and complete the old by aid of the new,"1 not only by reviving the study of the works and teachings of the Angelic Doctor, especially in the realm of philosophy, but also to uphold as perennial his method of engaging with his contemporaries within and without the Catholic faith.2 It is within this context that we are called upon to reflect upon this appeal: "vetera novis augere et perficere." The thirteenth century was indeed a time of intellectual upheaval, following the introduction of Aristotle and, later on, the translations into Latin of the Arabic commentaries on Aristotle by Ibn Rušd (Lat. Averröes; d. 1198). This event was met within the ecclesiastical world with apprehension, if not outright fear. Neo-Platonic philosophy and its interpretation by Ibn Sina (Lat. Avicenna; d. 1037) was already perfectly acceptable to Mediaeval Christian scholars. The latter was in fact considered an essential tool for understanding the illuminationist thought of St. Augustine. Étienne Gilson even spoke of Augustinisme avicennisant (Avicennized [End Page 1231] Augustinianism).3 The problem was Aristotle and his renowned commentator Ibn Rušd: a pagan commented on by an infidel. One must also note, however, that mediaeval Western intellectuals and institutions were able to encounter and adapt the Islamic legacy, because they already possessed a sufficient scientific base (with of course the contribution of translations of Greek together with Latin works) with which to understand, assimilate, and build upon this new knowledge that appeared from the East. In sum, mediaeval Christendom created living, vibrant societies, constantly searching, always discovering something new. In dealing with the specific (and delicate) subject of Aquinas's dialogue with Islamic thought, it would be necessary to reflect in particular upon two key works of his: the Liber de Veritate Catholicae Fidei contra Errores Infidelium (A Book on the Truth of the Catholic Faith against the Errors of Unbelievers),4 popularly known as the Summa contra gentiles [SCG], together with his De rationibus fidei contra Saracenos, Gnæcos et Armenos ad Cantorem Antiochenum, better known simply as De rationibus fidei. At this point it would be necessary to articulate the term "Islamic thought." Of itself it should not be identified with Islam as a religion. Rather, it should be considered as embracing classical Greek philosophy as interpreted by the Neo-Platonic movement and disseminated through Oriental Christian and Jewish schools of thought. Islamic civilization absorbed these teachings and built its own proper ediice upon these foundations. A Model for Interreligious Dialogue? Proposing Thomas Aquinas as a model for engagement with Islamic thought may also raise a few eyebrows. Hence, it would be appropriate to pose an essential question: "What type of dialogue existed in mediaeval times?" One should begin with an a priori exclusion of dialogue as it is understood today, given the fact that there existed neither the motive nor the means to implement it. In fact mediaeval society was aware of only three religions: the pagan, which had been replaced by Christianity; the Jewish, founded upon the precepts of the First Covenant which "Christ fulilled by his actions and [End Page 1232] by his teaching"5 and which was also believed to prefigure the everlasting New Covenant sealed by Jesus on the Cross; and finally, the Christian, which believed in Jesus as the final revelation of God to humanity.6 With such a vision in mind it is obvious that any doctrine that is not situated within these parameters, or which proposes some form of belief or conduct which was different from, if not contrary to, the Christian vision of God, the cosmos, and society, would be considered as heretical and its promoter an impostor.7 When Islam made its appearance in the Christian world, it carried with it a book that it considered of divine provenance, and...

More Than a Cup of Coffee and Tea: A Generation of Lutheran-Muslim Relationships ed. by David D. Grafton

Reviewed by: More Than a Cup of Coffee and Tea: A Generation of Lutheran-Muslim Relationships ed. by David D. Grafton Robert F. Shedinger More Than a Cup of Coffee and Tea: A Generation of Lutheran-Muslim Relationships. Edited by David D. Grafton. Eugene, Oregon: Pickwick Publications, 2021. 212 pp. This book provides an overview of Lutheran-Muslim relationships spanning the last thirty years. Following forewords by Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Bishop Elizabeth Eaton and Sayyid Syeed, head of the Islamic Society of North America, the book begins with four essays focused on official documents produced by Lutheran bodies on the topic of Lutheran-Muslim relationships as well as the influence of Islamophobia on those relationships. This section includes an essay on the 1986 document God and Jesus: Theological Reflections for Christian-Muslim Dialogue and one on the development of the Lutheran-Muslim consultative panel. These chapters lay the foundation for how the ELCA has thought theologically about its engagement with Islam and Muslims. The next three chapters take us inside specific examples of Lutheran-Muslim engagement in the United States. We learn how Lutherans are engaging with the Somali community in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis. We learn also about Lutheran-Muslim community connections in Southern California fostered by the Claremont School of Theology and the development of the Center of Christian-Muslim Engagement for Peace and Justice at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. The final four chapters expand the focus beyond the United States to Lutheran-Muslim encounters in Palestine, Indonesia, Senegal, and India. No doubt, Lutherans have been at the forefront of good faith efforts to build bridges of mutual understanding and cooperation with Muslims around the world. This book does an excellent job of documenting this. But despite all the good work —like the work of the Lutheran World Federation's Augusta Victoria Hospital serving Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza—I think Lutherans, like other Christians, continue to view Christian-Muslim dialogue from [End Page 232] within a specifically Christian worldview. Are Lutherans authentically hearing Muslim voices? We see a hint of this in the Rev. Jane Buckley-Farlee's essay on engagement with the Somali community in Minneapolis. She relates how Trinity Lutheran Church launched a Safe Place Homework Help program in 2001. An average of fifteen Muslim students come to the church each day after school for help with homework provided by tutors from Augsburg University and the University of Minnesota. One day, Rev. Buckley-Farlee relates how a student asked to use her office to engage in one of the five daily prayers. Rev. Buckley-Farlee, who was working on prayers for her Sunday service, invited the student in to pray. "I could see her standing, bowing, and kneeling, praying, out of the corner of my eye as I tried to type my own prayers for Sunday. It suddenly dawned on me that we were doing the same thing" (83). Well, not exactly. Christian prayer is much more akin to the Muslim practice of dua (intercessory prayer). The obligatory five daily prayers (or salat) involving ritual physical prostration are one of the five pillars of Islam and as such are part of a larger Islamic system designed to inculcate submission to God in all affairs of life in a way that transcends the carefully maintained boundaries between the sacred and secular so fundamental to the Western Christian worldview. This same mistake occurs when Christians liken the Islamic pillar of zakat to charity, missing the fact that zakat is really an obligatory wealth tax and the heart of what many Muslims believe is a uniquely Islamic economic system. I hope that as Lutheran-Muslim relationships move forward, there will be a greater interest among Lutherans and all Christians to understand Islam from a Muslim perspective. They might find real common ground, not necessarily theologically, but in a shared vision of the devastating and dehumanizing effects of modern global capitalism. Christians and Muslims can do much together to save the planet from human-caused catastrophe. [End Page 233] Robert F. Shedinger Luther College Decorah, Iowa Copyright © 2022 Johns Hopkins University Press and Lutheran Quarterly, Inc.

Catholic Eschatological Imagination and the Mystics of Fire: Possible Perspectives for a Muslim–Christian Dialogue

During the twentieth century, Catholic theology moved to reject the misuse of imaginaries of the afterlife. By insisting on a de-cosmologization of the “last things”, theologians endorsed a Christocentric eschatology. However, a physical material view remains dominant in the popular perception of the afterworld. Recently, some authors have engaged in a reevaluation of the role of imagination. In eschatology as well, several theologians assert the need for a more affective and effective Christian imaginary of the hereafter. In this essay, the image of fire serves as a case study. References to fire are frequent in the Bible, and many mystics also describe their encounter with God in terms of burning. For instance, Catherine of Genoa’s experience of purification through Christ’s fire of love led to a commitment to social justice. Appreciating the contribution of mystics of fire, theologians might fashion a revised imaginary of fire to address certain eschatological issues such as Purgatory. Despite the fact that in Islam “the Fire” is a synonym for Hell, Christian theologians could enter into dialogue with certain Shi’i authors and Sufi experiences regarding the ontology of imagination, the importance of unity with God, and the fiery imaginary of God’s love.

The Unspoken and The Forbidden in André Scrima’s Thought as a Way to Encounter the Other

André Scrima’s interest in Christian–Muslim dialogue goes beyond a historical or comparative approach. In this sense, knowledge from within the two monotheisms is achieved through an apophatic theology. Through it, the spiritual and mystical language that is characteristic of any authentic religious experience offers the possibility of a renewed approach to the differences between Islam and Christianity, and at the same time, clears a path for a truly authentic encounter. Fresh insight into the faith of the other does not put into parentheses the specific identity of the two monotheisms, but deepens it from the perspective of its apophatic content, where the possibility of experiencing the transcendent in a much deeper way is rooted, not by making new affirmations, but by adopting an attitude of stillness and silence.

Neighbors: Christians and Muslims Building Community, by Deanna Ferree Womack.

Neighbors: Christians and Muslims Building Community comes at a pivotal moment as the year 2021 marks the twentieth anniversary of the tragedy that took place on September 11, 2001. Since those devastating attacks, anti-Muslim hate crime has continued to burgeon, and tensions between Christians and Muslims have escalated to new heights. This has led Islamophobia to dictate and distort American Christians’ views in misunderstanding and mistreating their Muslim neighbors. As author Deanna Ferree Womack puts it, “lives are at stake” (2). She calls to Christians in the United States that now is the time “to be the neighbors Christ called us to be, to start building Christian–Muslim community” (xi).As such, Womack presents a guidebook for American Christians of diverse backgrounds who desire to learn more about their Muslim neighbors in the local, national, and global community. Neighbors is an intricate combination of historical, theological, and practical approaches that reflect on the story of how Christians and Muslims have related to one another in the past, confront the ongoing struggles in the present, and envision a better future for Christian–Muslim relations. Not only does her work aim to provide book knowledge on Islam, but also her pedagogy encourages readers to be proactive by approaching religions as living faiths, to be self-reflective, and to take steps in supporting Muslim neighbors. Womack undertakes this task in three sections: “When Our Neighbors Have a Different Religion,” “Christian–Muslim Encounters,” and “From Neighborly Commitment to Working Together.”The first section begins by providing a reality check about the growing multifaith society of the United States, which is projected to grow dramatically by 2050. “American Christians,” Womack writes, “should expect more opportunities to meet people of other faiths” (13). In addressing this pluralistic reality, Womack proposes that Christians should reflect on the notion of being Christ’s “witness” in pursuing meaningful interfaith engagements, as doing so indicates someone who “points to what they understand to be the truth” (24). Womack also highlights three models of interreligious engagements and argues that in today’s context interreligious dialogue prioritizes differences and pursues deeper intellectual engagement than just simply emphasizing commonalities.The second section explores the history of Christian–Muslim relations in the Middle East and takes a deep dive into understanding Islam in America. Womack problematizes the common stereotype that Christians and Muslims have always been in conflict by highlighting Christian–Muslim collaborations throughout history, for example, how Christian, Muslim, and Jewish intellectuals “worked interreligiously to spur social development within the wider Syrian community” (62) during the Arab Renaissance. In retracing the history of Islam in America, Womack argues that Islam is not a recent phenomenon, but rather it is an American religion that has been present since before the Civil War and has also evolved as a platform in voicing the racist injustices of African Americans. Consequently, the growing diversity among Muslims has also led to different ways of being Muslim in the United States, from the “social activists” who envision Islam as a source of addressing social inequalities to the “homeland homesick” who form small ethnic Muslim communities.Section 3 emphasizes the participatory praxis of interreligious dialogue through cultivating interfaith awareness. Womack utilizes an ethnographic approach in examining the lived experiences of Muslims today and the challenges that negative media representations of Islam and misconceptions about Muslim women have had on Christian–Muslim relations. In this section, Womack’s model of interreligious awareness is noteworthy, as it can be used as a framework for reflexivity to identify how one responds to religious differences and to “move toward higher stages of interreligious awareness and away from confrontational responses” (120). The closing chapter offers resources, such as the “Dos and Don’ts” in Christian–Muslim dialogue, and steps for fostering positive interfaith relations.Neighbors offers a compelling vision for dialogue and promising partnership between Christian and Muslim communities. The afterword by Roshan Iqbal, a female Muslim scholar, speaks volumes as she writes that this book is not only relevant for Christians, but “important to me personally and to my whole community as well” (146). Womack, with her extensive knowledge and expertise in Christian–Muslim initiatives, has created a guide jampacked with a wealth of information and the right tools for interfaith communication. Along with the reflection questions at the beginning of each chapter, readers should utilize the resourceful group discussion guide at the end. With this book as their guide, readers—whether they are a church layperson, pastor, and other Christian—will be better equipped to engage in deeper interfaith reflections and meaningful interreligious dialogue with their Muslim neighbors.

Konfessional'naya situaciya v Efiopii: rost vliyaniya islama

The article provides a brief historical overview of Islam in Ethiopia, its position in the empire before 1974 and its relationship with Christianity, as well as the changes that took place under the communist regime of Mengistu and after its overthrow in 1991. This work is also devoted to the current place of Islam in Ethiopia, the Christian-Muslim dialogue and the main directions of the spread of Muslim ideology in the country.

Major Muslim-Christian Dialogue Initiatives Since 9/11

The events of 9/11 deepened tensions between the West and the Islamic world. But there were also Christians and Muslims who used the occasion to intensify dialogue with each other. In the 20 years since then, dialogue has taken place in many forms and settings. This article asks which large-scale dialogue initiatives between Muslims and Christians were started in the time since 9/11 and what their salient characteristics are. Using a historical and qualitative approach, it contributes to establishing a framework for Muslim-Christian dialogue by showing the developments and providing insights in the current status of the larger, widely visible Muslim-Christian dialogue initiatives. The first part introduces and describes seven such initiatives, ranging from conferences to centres, programs and individual persons. Using a deductive approach, initiatives are analysed according to the people involved, the time and location in which they took or take place, and the topics dealt with. The second part critically analyses the progression of these large-scale dialogue initiatives between Muslims and Christians. What stands out is their diversity and the fact that notable individuals and institutions of both religions have been involved as actors in the process. In a globalized world, what happens on the big stages also impacts what happens elsewhere. The precedence set by the initiatives introduced thus can serve to encourage and give credibility to the enterprise of Muslim-Christian dialogue in other contexts as well.

Polyphony and Symphony: A Rereading of Q 4.157

ABSTRACT This article investigates the Qur’an’s position regarding Jesus’s death. It maintains that the classical exegetes read Q 4.157 as a monophony—hearing a sole melodic voice that denies Jesus’s death and crucifixion. The exegetes cited their monophonic reading of Q 4.157 as the lens through which they interpreted Q 19.33; 3.55 and 5.117. The resulting sound is cacophonous. Allusions to Jesus’s death are rejected, surrounding context is muted, biblical subtext is ignored, and there are syntactical, linguistic, grammatical and theological inconsistencies. This article recommends that Q 4.157 be read instead as a polyphony. A polyphonic reading allows three distinct melodies to be heard: defending Jesus from the boast of the Jews, declaring the triumphant victory of rūḥ Allāh (the spirit of God) over the strength of man, and proclaiming God’s control over life and death. The resulting sound is harmonious. These melodies are accordant with the other three verses concerning Jesus’s death and, in unison, affirm rather than deny it. Reading Q 4.157 as a polyphonic symphony resolves the apparent discord between the Islamic and Christian views regarding Jesus’s death into a more profound, unexpected harmony—establishing a new opening for future Muslim–Christian dialogue.

A Church of Islam: The Syrian Calling of Father Paolo Dall'Oglio by Shaun O'Neill

Reviewed by: A Church of Islam: The Syrian Calling of Father Paolo Dall'Oglio by Shaun O'Neill Christian Krokus Shaun O'Neill, A Church of Islam: The Syrian Calling of Father Paolo Dall'Oglio. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2019. Pp. 137. $21.00, paper. When, in 1982, the Italian Jesuit Paolo Dall'Oglio made a retreat outside Damascus among the ruins of an ancient monastery, Deir Mar Musa, one of the most daring, innovative, and hope-filled projects in the history of Christian-Muslim relations was born. Overseeing the reconstruction of the monastery and the restoration of its eleventh-to-twelfth-century church frescoes from 1984 through 1991, and having transferred to the Syriac Catholic rite, Dall'Oglio along with Jacques Mourad founded the al-Khalil monastic community (Friend of God, the title of Abraham in Islam). The community stands upon three pillars: contemplative prayer, manual labor, and Abrahamic hospitality, especially toward its surrounding Muslim neighbors. When unrest came to Syria in 2011, Dall'Oglio was outspoken in his criticism of the regime. He became a symbol of the burgeoning revolution and a "vociferous advocate for the opposition" (101). Having put his own life and those of his fellow monks and nuns in danger, he was exiled from the country. Over the following year he attempted to organize an international intervention, and in 2013, he surreptitiously returned to Syria but not to the monastery. In July of that year he entered Raqqa to negotiate for the release of hostages with leaders of what would later be known as ISIS. He has not been seen since. That the larger-than-life Dall'Oglio and DMM remain obscure in the Anglophone world is "lamentable," so O'Neill begins to redress the "paucity of writing … in English" about them (xxiv). His scope is broad, briefly covering the history of DMM's founding and examining the community's efforts at Christian-Muslim dialogue with an emphasis on the dialogue of life among monastery guests. O'Neill touches on the often-difficult relationships between Dall'Oglio and the local Christian hierarchy, the Vatican, the Jesuits, and the [End Page 319] Syrian state, describing him as sometimes "blunt" and "caustic" (62), "inflexible" (82), vain and "grandiose" (111). Dall'Oglio, who so longed to be an insider among Muslims, ironically, remained an outsider to a number of Syrian Christians. Critics accuse him of being too Asaad-friendly before the uprising and too Asaad-critical after. The book is based partly on texts and interviews by Dall'Oglio but mainly upon O'Neill's interviews with a few people close to Fr. Paolo, some anonymous. O'Neill's book opens several lines of inquiry that demand further study. First, although the book's titular phrase "Church of Islam" does not appear until page 72, O'Neill offers several understandings of Dall'Oglio's enigmatic formulation, ranging from inculturation and Incarnation, to exchange, synthesis, or even the unfortunate "non-denominational spiritualism" (84). Key for understanding Dall'Oglio's ecclesiology, O'Neill observes, is the Gospel image of the yeast in the dough. Future efforts, however, must further mine Dall'Oglio's conviction that Christianity is principally an animating spirit rather than an institution. In his provocatively titled article "In Praise of Syncretism," Dall'Oglio insists, for example, that there is no specifically Christian way of fasting. Such particularities are appropriated from whatever religio-cultural-symbolic space the Church inhabits. One implication for Christian-Muslim relations is to build a Church not only of Islam but for Islam, promoting Islamic values and aiding the development of the Ummah. Second, O'Neill refers to Dall'Oglio's being a "firm believer in the power of nonviolent resistance and dialogue" (101). Dall'Oglio once insisted that, in the event of conflict, he and DMM would remain in neighborly solidarity with all Syrian parties no matter their political affiliations. When the moment arrived, although he personally may never have carried a weapon, he lent vocal support to those who did on one side of a civil war. Such a position may be explainable, even justifiable, but the tension between his decision to accompany the opposition and Dall'Oglio's commitment to nonviolence...

An Exploration of the Christian-Muslim Landscape in Modern Syria and the Contribution of Eastern Christian Thought to Interreligious Dynamics

This paper considers Christian-Muslim relations in modern Syria and the importance that eastern Christian thought can make to the interreligious context within the Middle East. It briefly describes the diverse historical and contemporary Christian and Muslim religious landscapes that have cohabited and interacted within the country and the cultural, religious, and political issues that have impacted the interreligious dynamic. Based on fieldwork undertaken in government-held areas during the Syrian conflict, combined with critical historical and Christian theological reflection, the article contributes to understanding Syria’s diverse religious landscape and the multi-layered expressions of Christian-Muslim relations, in a way that has not been previously attempted. Providing insights into interreligious praxis prior to the conflict and in its midst, the article contributes to an understanding of the effect of conflict on interreligious relationships. The article considers the unique contribution of eastern Christianity to the Christian-Muslim dynamic and concludes that the significance of the theology and spirituality of the ‘Antiochene’ paradigm has been under-recognised in western discourse and that, having coexisted within the cultural environment of Islam, it is uniquely placed to play a major role in Christian-Muslim dialogue and the reframing of Islam’s engagement with modern society.This article contributes therefore to knowledge and understanding of the changing Christian-Muslim dynamic in Syria and the neighbouring region; a new understanding of the religious landscape; and a door to exploring how eastern Christian approaches to Christian-Muslim relations may be sustained and strengthened in the face of the considerable religious and political challenges faced by both communities today.