Dialogue and Difference : Clarity in Christian-Muslim Relations

by Troll, Christian W.

• ISBN13: 9781570758560
• ISBN10: 1570758565
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-10-15
• Publisher: Orbis Books
• More Book Details
• Purchase Benefits

Summary

An influential scholar and participant in Muslim-Christian conversations for decades, Christian Troll assesses the problems and shortcomings of both traditions in the quest for mutual understanding. Book jacket.

Author Biography

Christian W. Troll, a Jesuit priest, has engaged in studies of Islam since 1961. A graduate of the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, he is author of several books and numerous articles. He has taught in India, Rome, and the United Kingdom.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. 1
Introduction	p. 1
Acknowledgments	p. 4
Translator's Note	p. 5
A Word on Abbreviations	p. 6
Dimensions of Dialogue
The New Muslim Presence in Europe: Challenge and Opportunity for Christians	p. 9
Toward Harmonious Coexistence	p. 9
Theological Distinctions	p. 15
Forms of Christian Witness: The Task of Christian Mission in Relation to Muslims	p. 20
Dialogue as Encounter in Faith	p. 23
Common Ground in the Spheres of Faith and Mission	p. 24
Significant Differences and Their Roots	p. 26
The Burden of History	p. 28
Worldwide Reciprocity in Relations between Majorities and Minorities	p. 30
The Ethical and Political Dimensions of Dialogue	p. 33
The Situation after 11 September 2001	p. 33
Facets of the Reality of Islam Today	p. 34
Western Perspectives on Islam	p. 40
The Need for Policies Informed by Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue	p. 43
Dialogue and Truth-Claims in Christianity and Islam	p. 47
The Essential Question	p. 47
Truth-Claims and the Demand for Tolerance in Christian Perspective	p. 48
Contemporary Islam, Social Pluralism, Tolerance, and Dialogue	p. 52
The Qur'anic Imperative Today	p. 56
Human Dignity and Religious Freedom in Modern Islamic Thought	p. 57
Religious Freedom in Dignitatis Humanae	p. 57
The "Mainstream" Position of Traditional Islamic Teaching on Religious Freedom	p. 57
Muslim Thinkers Asking New Questions	p. 59
Qur'anic Resources for Teaching on Human Dignity	p. 62
Human Dignity and Freedom	p. 65
Freedom, Predestination, and Responsibility	p. 66
Freedom and Revealed Law	p. 67
Freedom and History	p. 71
Conclusion	p. 74
Dialogue: Between Mission and Ecumenical Relations	p. 76
The New Situation	p. 76
Christian Mission Today	p. 77
Emphases and Imperatives in the Missionary Encounter of the Church with Islam Today	p. 79
Distinctions In Belief
Islamic Understandings of God and Dialogue	p. 87
Fazlur Rahman on the Essential Features of the Qur'anic Understanding of God and Humanity	p. 88
Prospects for Healthy Christian-Muslim Coexistence and Dialogue	p. 91
Abraham: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Perspectives	p. 97
Sons of Abraham?	p. 97
In Jewish Perspective: A Long Journey of Faith	p. 98
In Muslim Perspective: The Prophet of Monotheism	p. 99
In Christian Perspective: Bearer of the Promise Fulfilled in Jesus	p. 102
The Relationship of the Monotheistic Faiths to Abraham	p. 105
God, Muhammad, and the Unbelievers	p. 108
Islam and the Other in the Qur'an and in the Biography of Muhammad	p. 108
Mecca and Medina: Two Paradigms for Islamic Thought in Relation to the Other	p. 111
The Relationship between the Umma and Others in the Light of a Fundamentalist Reading of the Qur'an	p. 112
The Meccan Paradigm and Some Modern Muslim Thinkers	p. 114
The Need for a New Reading of the Qur'an	p. 115
Is Muhammad Also a Prophet for Christians?	p. 117
A Question That Demands an Answer	p. 117
Prophecy in Islam	p. 118
Possible Approaches to a Christian Acknowledgment of Muhammad as Prophet	p. 119
Critical Openness to Muhammad's Life and Teaching	p. 120
Muhammad, the Qur'an, and Political Power	p. 121
The Hijra	p. 122
The Political and Military Dimensions of the Life and Message of Muhammad	p. 123
The Qur'an, Muhammad, and the Criterion of the Gospel	p. 125
Creation, Revelation, and Law in the Qur'an	p. 126
Theological Assessments
Bible and Qur'an in Dialogue	p. 131
The "Word of God" in Christian and in Muslim Understanding	p. 131
Muslim Beliefs concerning the Qur'an and the Bible, and Their Relevance for the Encounter between Christians and Muslims	p. 133
The Bible and the Qur'an in Their Spiritual Significance for Christians and Muslims	p. 136
Initiatives in Studying the Bible and the Qur'an Together	p. 138
Islam in Christian Theological Perspective	p. 142
Defining One's Own Position in Dialogue	p. 142
The Specific Character of Islam in Christian Perspective	p. 144
Abraham's Faith and Worship as a Point of Contact	p. 145
The Meaning of Christian-Muslim Encounter	p. 147
Summary	p. 151
Official Catholic Teaching and Islam since Vatican II	p. 153
The Statements Made by Vatican Council II	p. 153
Postconciliar Official Teaching on Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations	p. 156
Summary	p. 166
Appendix: Suggestions for Further Reading	p. 171
Index	p. 177
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