Christian Responses to Islam Muslim-Christian Relations in the Modern World

In the aftermath of 9/11, there has been much talk of a need to engage on a meaningful level with Islam, but where do we begin and what is the right approach? This book, available in paperback for the first time, looks at case studies from around the world in order to explore how Christian groups, sometimes as minorities and sometimes as the majority, engage with their Muslim neighbors in the search for a peaceful society. Some of the initiatives are politically motivated, others run by Church authorities and a number are community based, but all offer different approaches to a variety of situations that are encountered in Christian-Islamic dialogue. This is the first time that global strategies for dialogue have been published in one book by a series of leading academics. While previous publications have concentrated on a particular geographical area, usually the Middle East or Europe, this book casts a wider net and considers issues such as the rise of radical Islam in post-Soviet states, Indonesian immigration in Australia, and the spread of Islam amongst the Black South Africans after the fall of apartheid. Scholars and all those interested in politics, current affairs, religion, or peace studies will find this book essential reading as a guidebook to the state of contemporary Christian-Islamic relations.

Anthony O’Mahony is Director of the Centre for Christianity and Interreligious Dialogue at Heythrop College, University of London.Emma Loosley is Lecturer in Oriental Christian and Islamic Art at the University of Manchester.

Contents * Notes on contributors * Christianity and Islam:  Between history and theological encounter --Anthony O’Mahony *  Ecumenical Christian responses to Islam in Britain --Michael Ipgrave *  The response of the Anglican Church, Islam and Muslim-Christian relations in contemporary Britain --Barbara Mitchell * The Orthodox Church, Islam and Christian-Muslim relations in Russia -- Basil Cousins * The Vatican, Islam and Muslim-Christian relations --Andrew Unsworth * Muslim-Christian relations in Egypt: Challenges for the twenty-first century --Fiona McCallum * Christians and Muslim in Western Europe: From “speechless co-existence” to shared citizenship? --Philip Lewis * Varieties of Christian-Muslim-Christian encounter in Malaysia --Peter Riddell * Christian-Muslim relations in the Philippines: Between conflict, reconciliation and dialogue --Rocco Viviano * Islam and Christian-Muslim encounters in Australasia --Anthony H.Johns * Christianity and Islam in Syria: Island of religious tolerance? --Emma Loosley * Christianity, Shi’a Islam and Muslim-Christian relations in Iran --Anthony O’Mahony * Christian-Muslim encounters in South Africa --Chris Clohessey * Christians and Muslims in West Africa --Stanislaw Grodz * Christian-Muslim relations in the Sudan --John Flannery * Christianity and Islam: The way forward? --Emma Loosley * Index