The Book

Block (Corrie J.), The Qur’an in Christian-Muslim Dialogue: Historical and Modern Interpretations, New-York, Routledge, (Culture and Civilization in the Middle East), 2013, 368 p. ISBN 0415836999

The Author

C.J. Block est un consultant en management interculturel.

Presentation

Offering an analysis of Christian-Muslim dialogue across four centuries, this book highlights those voices of ecumenical tone which have more often used the Qur’an for drawing the two faiths together rather than pushing them apart, and amplifies the voice of the Qur’an itself.

Finding that there is tremendous ecumenical ground between Christianity and Islam in the voices of their own scholars, this book ranges from a period of declining ecumenism during the first three centuries of Islam, to a period of resurging ecumenism during the most recent century until now. Among the ecumenical voices in the Christian-Muslim dialogue, this book points out that the Qur’an itself is possibly the strongest of those voices. These findings are cause for, and evidence of, hope for the Christian–Muslim relationship: that although agreement may never be reached, dialogue has led at times to very real mutual understanding and appreciation of the religious other.

Providing a tool for those pursuing understanding and mutual appreciation between the Islamic and Christian faiths, this book will be of interest to scholars and students of Islam, the Qur’an and the history of Christian-Muslim relations.

Content

Introduction

Part 1A: The First Christian Encounters with Islam

1 The History of Christianity in Arabia

2 Christian Doctrine in South Arabia in the Sixth and Early Seventh Centuries

3 Muhammad’s Direct Encounters with Christians

4 The Qur’an: the Original Muslim-Christian Apology

5 The Treaty of Muhammad with the Narjan Christians

Part 1B: Early History and Trends in Interfaith Dialogue

6 The Trinity

7 The Incarnation

8 The Crucifixion

9 Tahrif

10 Muhammad’s Prophethood

11 Islamic Expansion

12 Comments on Tone in the Phases of Dialogue

Part 2: Modern Scholarship in Christian-Muslim Relations

13 The Trinity

14 The Incarnation

15 The Crucifixion

16 Tahrif

17 Muhammad’s Prophethood

18 Islamic Expansion

19 Comments on the Tone of Dialogue

20 Inter-Textual Trends

Part 3: Expanding the Qur’anic Bridge

21 Ecumenism as Humble Orthodoxy

22 Orthopraxy

23 Perichoresis

24 Qur’anic Christianity

25 Concluding Thoughts