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Christian-Muslim Encounter: The Theological Dimension

Winter/Spring 2012

What has been the nature of Christian and Muslim perceptions of each other and their own self-understanding in light of the other, in various times and contexts? Drawing upon many genres of historical and contemporary literature, students will examine this two-sided question, ways in which political issues have colored theological interpretation, and examples of theological dialogue between Christians and Muslims today.

Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on January 24, February 14, March 6, March 27, and April 17 (May 8, make-up if needed)

Lucinda Mosher

Faculty Associate in Interfaith Studies
(646) 335 2951
lmosher@hartsem.edu
Syllabus: 

Course Description:

This course explores the complexity of Christian and Muslim theological interpretation of each other, and of themselves in light of the other, in various times and contexts. Students will examine the themes, genres, and strategies of Christian-Muslim theological engagement from the 7th century CE to the present. Thus, this course will facilitate what Francis Clooney means by comparative theology: an endeavor which “combines tradition-rooted theological concerns with actual study of another tradition.” And, following John Renard, it will define theological concerns broadly: including, of course, understandings of God, revelation, and the divine-human economy; but also the “panoply of texts and images and the various modes of interpreting them; ways of reasoning and analysis of human ‘religious’ experience; modes of expression, whether verbal or visual, of that experience; and the host of institutional and cultural developments that have formed the settings and contexts for all such interpretation, processing, and expression.”

Learning Goals
As a result of this course, students will gain:

  • Appreciation for the range of, and reasons for, Christian-Muslim theological engagement over the centuries;
  • Knowledge of the major themes of Christian-Muslim theological engagement;
  • Understanding of the genres and strategies of such engagement.

Assessment Expectations:
Grades will be determined on the basis of the following:

  • Attendance (see attendance policy);
  • Participation in class discussion (10%);
  • Participation in on-line reflection between class sessions (10%);
  • Submission of a short writing assignment before Sessions Two, Three, Four, Five (40%);
  • Completion of a final project (e.g. a book review-essay, a research paper, a detailed plan for a mini-course) chosen in conversation with the professor, and due by 15 May 2012 (40%). 

Attendance Policy
Attendance in class is required. If you know you will be unable to attend a class session please inform the professor in advance. Because this class meets only five times, missing an entire session will result in an automatic lowering of your final grade by 20%. Missing a half-session (i.e. the morning or afternoon portion of a session) will result in an lowering of your grade by 10%. Missing two or more sessions will result in automatic failure of the course.
Class Schedule (Preliminary version; revisions are likely)


Date		 Topic Read for Today Due Today
1/24 Introduction; a brief history of Christian-Muslim engagement Students with limited background on Christianity: Hart, The Story of Christianity by today.
Students with limited background on Islam: Nasr, Islam: Religion, History, and Civilization by today.
Renard, Part I (pp. 27-67)		  
2/14 Creedal Dimensions Renard, Part II
Ayoub, Chapters 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14		 One-page reflection #1
3/6 Institutional Dimensions Renard, Part III
Ayoub, Chapters 2, 7, 15
Michel, Chapter 5		 One-page reflection  #2
3/27 Ethical and Spiritual Dimensions Renard, Part IV
Ayoub, Chapter 6
Michel, Chapters 14 & 15		 One-page reflection  #3
4/17 Where we are now: The Common Word phenomenon; the “Islamophobia” phenomenon; models and strategies for further positive engagement: the Scriptural Reasoning initiative; the Building Bridges seminar.
Tying up loose ends; preliminary reports on final projects		 Renard, Epilogue
A Common Word (full text)
Ayoub, Chapters 1, 3, 4, 5
Michel, Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 16		 One-page reflection #4; proposal for final project

 

Books: 

Required texts:

Renard, John. Islam and Christianity: Theological Themes in Comparative Perspective. University of California Press, 2011. Buy now
Ayoub, Mahmoud. A Muslim View of Christianity: Essays on Dialogue, edited by Irfan A. Omar. Orbis, 2007. Buy now
Michel, Thomas F., S. J. A Christian View of Islam: Essays on Dialogue, edited by Irfan. A. Omar. Orbis, 2010. Buy now
Nostra Aetate  (Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions, proclaimed by His Holiness Pope Paul VI, 1965) http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decl_19651028_nostra-aetate_en.html.
A Common Word Between Us and You (2007), www.acommondword.com; and, at least one of the official Christian responses to A Common Word
Various additional items made available on line or on reserve in the library.
NB: This course presumes some prior knowledge of the basics of the history, beliefs and practices of Christianity and Islam. Students with limited background are urged to read one or both of the following (as needed) before the opening session of this course:
Hart, David Bentley. The Story of Christianity: An Illustrated History of 2000 years of the Christian Faith. Quercus, 2011. Buy now
Ayoub, Mahmoud M. Islam: Faith and History. Oneworld, 2004.
Recommended reading for everyone:
Goddard, Hugh. A History of Christian-Muslim Relations. New Amsterdam Books, 2000.

Course Bibliography:
Abou El Fadl, Khaled, et al. The Place of Tolerance in Islam.
Al Faruqi, Isma‘il Ragi. Christian Ethics: A Historical and Systematic Analysis of Its Dominant Ideas. McGill University Press, 1967.
Ayoub, Mahmoud. A Muslim View of Christianity: Essays on Dialogue, edited by Irfan A. Omar. Orbis, 2007.
Baum, Gregory. The Theology of Tariq Ramadan: A Catholic Perspective. University of Notre Dame Press, 2009.
Borelli, John, ed. A Common Word and the Future of Christian-Muslim Relations. Washington, DC: ACMU Occasional Papers, June 2009.
Cutsinger, James S., ed. Paths to the Heart: Sufism and the Christian East. World Wisdom, 2002.
Cragg, Kenneth. The Call of the Minaret. Oneworld, 2000. (originally published by OUP, 1964.)
Esposito, John. Pluralism in Muslim-Christian Relations. Washington, DC: ACMCU Occasional Papers 2008.
Goddard, Hugh. A History of Christian-Muslim Relations. New Amsterdam Books, 2000.
Goddard, Hugh. Christians & Muslims: From Double Standards to Mutual Understanding. Curzon, 1995.
Goddard, Hugh. Muslim Perceptions of Christianity. Grey Seal, 1996.
Griffith, Sidney. The Church in the Shadow of the Mosque: Christians and Muslims in the World of Islam. Princeton University Press, 2008.
Haddad, Yvonne Yazbeck and Wadi Z. Haddad, eds. Christian-Muslim Encounters. University Press of Florida, 1995.
Ipgrave, Michael, ed. Bearing the Word: Prophecy in Biblical and Qur’anic Perspective. Church Publishing, 2005.
___. Building a Better Bridge: Muslims, Christians, and the Common Good. Georgetown University Press, 2008. 
___. Justice & Rights: Christian and Muslim Perspectives. Georgetown University Press, 2009.
___. Scriptures in Dialogue: Christians and Muslims studying the Bible and the Qur’an together. Church House, 2004.
Islamica Magazine (February 2009). Special issue on A Common Word. 
Kaltner, John. Ishmael Instructs Isaac: An Introduction to the Qur’an for Bible Readers. The Liturgical Press, 1999.
Marshall, David. God, Muhammad and the Unbelievers: A Qur’anic Study. Curzon, 1999.
Michel, Thomas F., S. J. A Christian View of Islam: Essays on Dialogue, edited by Irfan. A. Omar. Orbis, 2010.
Papademetriou, George C., ed. Two Traditions, One Space: Orthodox Christians and Muslims in Dialogue. Somerset Hall Press, 2011. 
Renard, John. Islam and Christianity: Theological Themes in Comparative Perspective. University of California Press, 2011
Robinson, Neal. Christ in Islam and Christianity. SUNY Press, 1991.
Tolan, John. Saint Francis and the Sultan: The Curious History of a Christian-Muslim Encounter. Oxford, 2009.
Troll, Christian W. S. J. Muslims Ask, Christians Answer. English translation by David Marshall. Gujarat Sahitya Prakash, 2005.
Volf, Miroslav, Ghazi bin Muhammad, and Melissa Yarrington. A Common Word: Muslims and Christians on Loving God and Neighbor. Eerdmans, 2010. 
Watt, William Montgomery. Muslim-Christian Encounters: Perceptions and Misperceptions. Routledge, 1991.
Zebiri, Kate. Muslims and ChristiansFace to Face. Oneworld, 1997.