A Common Word

by Volf, Miroslav

• ISBN13: 9780802863805
• ISBN10: 0802863809
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-12-30
• Publisher: Eerdmans Pub Co

Summary

In late 2007 Muslim leaders from around the world together issued in the pages of The New York Times an open letter to Christian leaders inviting cooperation as a step toward peace. That letter, "A Common Word between Us and You," acknowledged real differences between the two faiths but nonetheless contended that "righteousness and good works" should be the only areas in which they compete. The 138 signatories included over a dozen grand muftis, an ayatollah, and a Jordanian prince, and the document was widely considered a groundbreaking step toward reconciliation between Islam and Christianity - two major religions with a great deal in common.

Author Biography

Miroslav Volf is Director of the Yale Center for Faith Culture and Henry B. Wright Professor of Systematic Theology at Yale Divinity School. H.R.H. Prince Ghazi Bin Muhammad bin Talal is the principal drafter and political force behind the original open letter. He is the Personal Envoy and Special Advisor to H.M. King Abdullah II and Chairman of the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, Amman, Jordan. Melissa Yarrington is Research Fellow for Muslim-Christian Relations at the Yale Center for Faith Culture's Reconciliation Program.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. ix
Preface	p. xii
Invitation and Response
On "A Common Word Between Us and You"	p. 3
A Common Word for a Common Future	p. 18
A Common Word Between Us and You	p. 28
Loving God and Neighbor Together: A Christian Response to "A Common Word Between Us and You"	p. 51
Muslim Perspectives
Loving God and Loving Neighbor	p. 79
God, "The Loving"	p. 88
The Word of God: The Bridge between Him, You, and Us	p. 110
The Concept of Loving Neighbor in the Qur'an and Hadith His Excellency	p. 118
Christian Perspectives
God Is Love: Biblical and Theological Reflections on a Foundational Christian Claim	p. 125
Understanding the Meaning of Love: Eternal or Temporal? Self-Giving or Gift-Giving?	p. 143
Transforming Love	p. 153
Loving Neighbor in Word and Deed: What Jesus Meant	p. 157
Love and Speech: With Remarks on Seduction and Sorcery	p. 162
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions That Muslims Have Been Asked about "A Common Word"	p. 171
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions Regarding the Yale Response to "A Common Word Between Us and You"	p. 178
Political Significance of "A Common Word"
Common Word, Dialogue, and the Future of the World	p. 193
The Addressees and Signatories of "A Common Word Between Us and You"	p. 201
The Signatories of the Yale Response, "Loving God and Neighbor Together"	p. 214
Contributors	p. 238
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