Features
- Cover Type: Paperback with 327 pages
- Published by: InterVarsity Press February 2002
- Written in: English
- ISBN 10 Number: 0830823158
- ISBN 13 Number: 978-0830823154
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Book Dimensions:
8.3 x 5.6 x 1 inches
- Weighs: 15 ounces
From Library Journal
Historically, Christians and Muslims have had a troubled relationship, and these two books nobly aim to generate a dialog between the two faiths. Between the Cross and Crescent successfully contrasts the lives of Malcolm X Shabazz and Martin Luther King Jr. and mostly resolves the creative tension between those leaders' philosophies. Baldwin (religious studies, Vanderbilt Univ.) has deep roots in the African-American Christian tradition, and Al-Hadid (Africana studies, Tennessee State Univ.) is a Sunni Muslim. They have written a contrapuntal biography to stress the importance of interfaith dialog and a Pan-African perspective, and to celebrate community as the highest ideal. Freedom, family, gender roles, democracy, and globalization are the major themes in this publication, the second in the publisher's "History of African American Religions" series. The Prophet & the Messiah is an equally remarkable book. Whereas the Martin/Malcolm title was written primarily from a sociocultural perspective, this one employs a religious viewpoint, intermingling East/West and sophic/mantic perspectives. Moucarry (Islamic studies, All Nations Christian Coll., England) was born in Syria, has lived in both Muslim and Christian communities, and received a Ph.D. from the Sorbonne. Although he is respectful of and sensitive to both religions, he clearly makes the case for the truth of Christianity, at the same time assuring the reader that absolute impartiality does not exist anyway. His twenty chapters include discussions of the Scriptures, key doctrines (e.g., Godhead, sin and salvation), Jesus Christ, Muhammad, and contemporary issues. Helpful appendixes list Muslim theologians and mystics and show a historical time line of Christian-Muslim relations. Although Moucarry's book was written for evangelical Christian readers and Baldwin/Al-Hadid's for college students, they both carry the message to any believer that there is one God, one humanity, one world. Both titles are highly recommended for general and student readerships in public and academic libraries. Gary P. Gillum, Brigham Young Univ., Provo, UT
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Product Description
In an age of media distortion and widespread stereotypes, Christians and Muslims both need a greater understanding of each other's faith. What do Christians believe about the Bible? What do Muslims believe about the Qur'an? And what do both Christianity and Islam have to say about Jesus and Muhammad?
In this evenhanded and conciliatory book Chawkat Moucarry calls Christians and Muslims to engage in genuine dialogue, urging them to relate to each other with true humility and respect. In a straightforward fashion he describes and compares the central doctrines of both Christianity and Islam, explaining key beliefs and debunking common misconceptions.
Christians who read this book will learn much about Islam. Likewise, Muslims who read it will discover why Christians are convinced of the truth of Christianity. Sure to provide grist for informed discussions, this rare book is one that both Muslims and Christians can fruitfully study together.
"Writing out of a rich experience of interfaith dialogue in both Arabic and European cultures, Chawkat Moucarry issues a stirring challenge to Christians and Muslims to move beyond mutual ignorance and caricature. His book is itself an example of sensitive, humble yet bold engagement with Islamic beliefs, and should be pondered by Muslims and Christians alike." Vinoth Ramachandra, author of Faiths in Conflict?
"Chawkat Moucarry shows courage in arriving at clear answers to difficult questions through meticulous and rational argumentation, while striving to demonstrate the greatest sensitivity and respect for those who would reach alternative answers. This important work will serve as a valuable new resource for Christian-Muslim interaction. Adherents of both faiths should read it and use it as a key reference point in diverse contexts of interfaith dialogue." Peter Riddell, Centre for Islamic Studies, London Bible College
Reader ReviewsLike the other reviewer, I also enjoyed "The Prophet and the Messiah". He is highly educated in the filed of Islamic studies and is a well-known spokesman for the educated interaction of the two faiths. From my own limited knowledge of the literature, this has been the most useful of the books on the subject owing to its organization and content. It is not polemical, although Moucarry is clearly a Christian. One little observation is that many books of this sort approach Islam from the Protestant theological tradition. In some ways this seems to be useful since the majority of Protestants and all true Muslims hold a "Quranic" notion of the Book. That is, it is literal and intact as given. In Christian terms, this means that functionally most Protestants have zero conception of how the New Testament was formed from the liturgical heart of the Church, and not vice versa. So in this way the Protestant doctrine of sola scriptura (bible alone) has a false bond with Islam on a textual level. It should be noted, however, that when speaking with Moslems it needs to be remembered that their equivalent to Jesus Christ incarnate of Mary as God is not Muhammad, but the Qur'ân. We have an incarnated God, they have an "inscripturated" God. There is much to learn from the ancient Churches of the Near and Middle East in this regard. Other useful books in this regard are Cragg's "Muhammad and the Christian", "Paths to the Heart" edited by Cutsinger is very useful if you have an interest in Sufism and Eastern Orthodoxy, Bell's "The Origin of Islam in Its Christian Environment", Daniel Sahas' "John of Damascus on Islam: The Heresy of the Ishmaelites", and Stockle's "The Doctrine of Islam and Christian Belief".
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