A powerful challenge to conventional Judeo-Christian theology, The First and Final Commandment combines the author's two books, MisGod'ed and God'ed, within one cover. The First and Final Commandment begins by defining the internal conflicts that fracture the metaphysical worlds of Judaism and Christianity from within, and indeed, which demand reappraisal of the Judeo-Christian scriptures themselves. Incorporating detailed analysis, this work continues on to document the scriptural evidences that suggest continuity in revelation from Judaism to Christianity and, in the end, to orthodox (Sunni) Islam. Provocative and thought-provoking, intelligent and inspiring, this book enters the melee of two thousand years of religious debate with clarity of vision, accuracy of detail, and common sense conclusions which boldly confront conventional Judeo-Christian conclusions.

A non-partial anthology of Bible and Qur'an stories: "timely, unique and astonishing." John Esposito. Symbolized by Mary, the Jewish mother of Jesus loved by Christians and Muslims alike, this rare anthology seeks for common ground in a time of conflict. Placing verses from Bible and Qur'an Side by Side, it shows the Holy Books' commonalities in the stories of Adam in the Garden of Eden; Noah and the Great Flood; David and Goliath and many more. Controversial topics - the subservience of women, war and crime- are not shunned, but the focus is on shared human values. Even God and Allah are shown to have many attributes in common. Illustrated- for a non-illustrated version see Qur'an and Bible Side by Side "A compassionate contribution...preferring dialogue to strife and refusing to claim superiority or blame the 'other' side." Ruud Lubbers A peer reviewed book. " Recommended for lower-level undergraduates through graduate student and general readers." Prof. M. Swartz, Choice, Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, ..".invaluable contribution to dialogue especially that between Islam and Christianity." Muhammad Khan, Muslim News, UK, "Written, not in a polemic spirit of proving one religion to be superior to another, but in the spirit of reconcilliation... " Simon Ross Valentine, Church Times, UK ..".Sharing Mary must be praised for its novel approach...(it) succeeds in awakening curiosity." Diego A Sarrio, Washington, Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations, January 2011 "An important anthology... supported by carefully formulated comments by competent Islamic and Christian academics... the stories are shown, in their subtle differences, to possess a spiritual commonality." Revd. Dr Reinhardt Kiste, Dialog der Religionen.

Volume I presents the talks and addresses at the Symposium hosted at Wesley Theological Seminary, Washigton D.C. This event honored the legacy of two brothers, JosephWesley Mathews and James K. Mathews and the work of he organizations and institutions they founded and led.Volume II will present the workshop finding from six workshop tracks looking at responses and strategic directions for people of the spirit in the 21st century: interfaith engagement, corporate ethics, environmental recponsibility, community leadership development, eduation and health challenges.

BERNARD DE GIVE, for many years a member of the Society of Jesus, was for eight years a seminary professor, first in Sri Lanka then in India, before pursuing oriental studies at Oxford, where he formed friendships with Tibetan monks. Since becoming a Trappist in 1972, the author has enjoyed meeting monks of other religions: Hindu Swamis, Jain ascetics, Buddhist monks and, above all, Tibetan Lamas. In 1977, a Benedictine and Cistercian Commission for Monastic Interreligious Dialogue (DIM - MID) was established, and it was under these auspices that the author was able to visit numerous Tibetan centres in Western Europe but also in India and in Tibet itself. The invasion of Tibet by the Chinese communists in 1950, followed by the voluntary exile of the Dalai Lama and large numbers of Tibetans, overturned the political and cultural circumstances of a country which, though fiercely isolated for centuries, now found itself suddenly propelled beyond its borders. This traditional culture thus became accessible to Westerners who were eagerly seeking a form of spirituality which corresponded to their needs and their anxieties. The author, though he has a most real sympathy towards the Dharma and its followers, is not a Buddhist, nor even a seeker. While stressing the 'obvious and considerable' doctrinal differences, he experiences an undeniable sense of encounter in depth with Tibetan Buddhists: 'The truest essence of the dialogue partners, especially when they are monks, encounters a kindred spirit. Whether in conversation or in silence, they find themselves in total dialogue.'

No issue is more important, more difficult, more controversial, or more divisive for Christian theology and practice today than that of other faiths. The subject raises large theological questions about the nature of other faiths and Christian participation in the worship of other faiths. The issue of the nature and practices of other faiths is of real relevance in the West given the presence of large other faith communities in the UK. This study examines these questions by focusing on Paul's discussion of other faiths in Corinth in 1 Corinthians 8-10. It presents a fresh look at Paul's view of the worship of other faiths. It sheds light on the theological and pastoral issues raised by 1 Corinthians 8-10, and, in particular, engages with the debate on inclusivism, and offers pastoral case studies. Rohintan Mody comes from an Indian Zoroastrian background to Christianity and is the Associate Vicar of Christ Church, Virginia Water. His PhD in New Testament from the University of Aberdeen discusses The Relationship between Powers of Evil in 1 Corinthians 8:4-5 and 10:18-22 in the Context of the Pauline Corpus and Early Judaism.

Over three years of study and fellowship, sixteen Muslim, Jewish, and Christian scholars sought to answer one question: "Do our three scriptures unite or divide us?" They offer their answers in this book: sixteen essays on how certain ways of reading scripture may draw us apart and other ways may draw us, together, into the source that each tradition calls peace. Reading scriptural sources in the classical and medieval traditions, the authors examine how each tradition addresses the "other" within its tradition and without, how all three traditions attend to poverty as a societal and spiritual condition, and what it means to read scripture while facing the challenges of modernity. Ochs and Johnson have assembled a unique approach to inter-religious scholarship and a rare look at scriptural study as a pathway to peace.

This title offers comprehensive and contemporary exploration of the role of Jesus in both Islam and Christianity and issues of dialogue in Christian-Muslim relations. "Images of Jesus Christ in Islam 2nd Edition" provides a general introduction to the question of Jesus Christ in Islam and a dialogical discussion of this issues' importance for Christian-Muslim relations. Its originality lies in its comprehensive presentation of relevant sources and research and its discussion of Islamic images of Christ in the wider context of Muslim-Christian relations. Oddbjorn Leirvik provides a comprehensive introduction to a breadth of Muslim traditions through an examination of interpretations of Jesus throughout history, whilst also examining historic tensions between Islam and Christianity. This book's distinctive contribution lies in its dialogical perspective in the perennial area of interest of Islam and Christian-Muslim relations.

This title offers a comprehensive and contemporary exploration of the role of Jesus in both Islam and Christianity and issues of dialogue in Christian-Muslim relations. "Images of Jesus Christ in Islam 2nd Edition" provides a general introduction to the question of Jesus Christ in Islam and a dialogical discussion of this issues' importance for Christian-Muslim relations. Its originality lies in its comprehensive presentation of relevant sources and research and its discussion of Islamic images of Christ in the wider context of Muslim-Christian relations. Oddbjorn Leirvik provides a comprehensive introduction to a breadth of Muslim traditions through an examination of interpretations of Jesus throughout history, whilst also examining historic tensions between Islam and Christianity. This book's distinctive contribution lies in its dialogical perspective in the perennial area of interest of Islam and Christian-Muslim relations.

Christian Approaches to Other Faiths is divided along the same lines as the textbook(9780334041146). In the first section, readings are divided according to the sub-sections, providing at least one reading for each, with those paradigms which have been more influential, receiving most attention. Importantly a number of readings will also be given critical of the approach in question. The second section contains at least two readings per section, both adopting a different way of understanding that faith. This provides a positive and negative attitude to the faith in question, or highlights the work of two influential commentators. While the emphasis is on contemporary works, important historical readings are included. A short introduction to each text means that, like the Core Text, the work can be used as a stand alone text.

A growing number of people experience their own spiritual lives as being inspired by more than one religious tradition. Multi-religious identity formation and double-belonging are obvious signs of a process of significant transformation as a result inter-faith encounter - a transformation that had been expected and positively willed by various inter-faith theologians. "Transformation by Integration" looks more deeply at a number of issues involved, including: What does it mean theologically to move beyond tolerance towards a genuine appreciation of other religions? How can multi-religious identity be assessed theologically? And, will we have to reconsider the widespread dismissal of syncretism? Perry Schmidt-Leukel takes the next theological step on the basis of a pluralist paradigm within the theology of religions.

A constructive new proposal for Christian dialogue with other faiths. Religious pluralism is today the most challenging issue facing traditional Christianity. This constructive work by a leading voice on the subjects of religious pluralism and interfaith relations probes the Christian understanding of God and salvation and offers a new perspective on religious pluralism that affirms unique salvation in Christ while also recognizing the religious ends of other faiths. The questions explored here are both difficult and enlightening. What is the distinctive nature of salvation? Is there a place in Christian theology for recognizing other religious ends in addition to salvation? In pursuit of meaningful answers, S. Mark Heim uses the classical doctrine of the Trinity to develop a theology that allows Christians to respect the possibility that alternative relations with God exist in other religions.

Redemption and Resistance brings together an eminent cast of contributors to provide a state-of-the-art discussion of Messianism as a topic of political and religious commitment and controversy. By surveying this motif over nearly a thousand years with the help of a focused historical and political searchlight, this volume is sure to break fresh ground. It will serve as an attractive contribution to the history of ancient Judaism and Christianity, of the complex and often problematic relationship between them, and of the conflicting loyalties their hopes for redemption created vis--vis a public order that was at first pagan and later Christian. Although each chapter is designed to stand on its own as an introduction to the topic at hand, the overall argument unfolds a coherent history. The first two parts, on pre-Christian Jewish and primitive Christian Messianism, set the stage by identifying two entities that in Part III are then addressed in the development of their explicit relationship in a Graeco-Roman world marked by violent persecution of Jewish and Christian hopes and loyalties. The story is then explored beyond the Constantinian turn and its abortive reversal under Julian, to the Christian Empire up to the rise of Islam.

Cross-cultural research provides exceptional insights into the hopes and fears of dealing with people different to ourselves. In Australia, such research suggests that Australian Muslims have surpassed Asians as one of the country's most marginalised religious and ethnic groups. Muslims and people from the Middle East are thought to be unable to fit into Australia, with more than 50% of Australians preferring their relatives did not to marry into a Muslim family. Yet this statistic masks diverse interpretations of interfaith relations and cultural harmony present across Australia today. In 12 essays Us and Them offers truths about interfaith relations as they are believed and expressed by Muslim and non-Muslim Australians. The essays are interdisciplinary and varied in topic, and seek to challenge the images of Islam held by both xenophobic Westerners and extremist Muslims. Drawn from a variety of research projects over past years, including results from a national survey on attitudes towards Islam and Muslims among Australian secondary students, they also raise thematic questions, such as: Will any dialogue lead to a rapprochement between the Muslim and mainstream communities? What is Christian-Muslim diversity? Why does it matter? Can we really learn how to manage diversity in the workplace? Can the Shari'a law coexist with the Australian legal system on issues including polygamy, marital status and dress? This book is essential reading for all students -- secondary through to tertiary and postgraduate -- requiring an introduction to Christian Muslim relations and attitudes in Australia .

This volume presents a penetrating interview and sixteen essays that explore key intersections of medieval religion and philosophy. With characteristic erudition and insight, RemiBrague focuses less on individual Christian, Jewish, and Muslim thinkers than on their relationships with one another. Their disparate philosophical worlds, Brague shows, were grounded in different models of revelation that engendered divergent interpretations of the ancient Greek sources they held in common. So, despite striking similarities in their solutions for the philosophical problems they all faced, intellectuals in each theological tradition often viewed the others' ideas with skepticism, if not disdain. Brague's portrayal of this misunderstood age brings to life not only its philosophical and theological nuances, but also lessons for our own time.

Respected Baptist historian and theologian Bill Leonard takes readers through the theological and practical questions that are important to Baptists. In a clear style and with great sensitivity to the varieties of beliefs among Baptist bodies, Leonard considers the big questions of faith. These include Baptist beliefs about God, Jesus Christ, the Bible, salvation, and the Christian life, among others. Drawing on historic statements of Baptist belief, contemporary history, and his own background and deep scholarship, Leonard provides reliable and accessible discussions of these issues. His work will be highly illuminating for Baptists of all denominational groupings as well as for others interested in the core of Baptist theological convictions and their various expressions. Leonard's is a strong and trusted voice, and this book will be a welcome resource.

Using the events surrounding "The Satanic Verses" controversy as a starting point, Paul Weller offers an interesting examination of the twenty-first century challenges posed by living with radical difference, freedom of expression, and mutual respect.26th September 2008 marks the twentieth anniversary of the beginning of "The Satanic Verses" controversy - a controversy that in many ways became paradigmatic for the following two decades.Taking as its starting-point the opening two years of the controversy, Paul Weller uses the events and arguments of those years as a lens through which to view what later developed, both in relation to the controversy itself, but also its wider entails, and the incidents and issues through which aspects of the original controversy were reprised. The anniversary of the controversy presents a good opportunity to review the incidents, issues and debates of the time in some historical perspective, while also connecting them with subsequent incidents that have reprised some of the key themes, such as the 'cartoons' controversy, the terror attacks of 9/11 and 7/7, and the killing of the Dutch filmmaker, Theo Van Gogh.The book holds up a mirror for our times that will be of interest to academics, politicians, students, and religious believers, as well as to all who are engaged with the twenty-first century challenges posed by living with radical difference, freedom of expression, and mutual respect, with exploring the relationship between religion and secularity, and with overcoming the threats posed by religiously informed violence. Paul Weller is Professor of Inter-Religious Relations at the University of Derby and Visiting Fellow in the Oxford Centre for Christianity and Culture at Regent's Park College, University of Oxford, UK. He is editor of "Religions in the UK: Directory 2007-10", the 2001 edition of which won the Shap Working Party on World Religions in Education prize for 'an outstanding contribution to the teaching of world religions'.

Using the events surrounding "The Satanic Verses" controversy as a starting point, Paul Weller offers an interesting examination of the twenty-first century challenges posed by living with radical difference, freedom of expression, and mutual respect.26th September 2008 marks the twentieth anniversary of the beginning of "The Satanic Verses" controversy - a controversy that in many ways became paradigmatic for the following two decades.Taking as its starting-point the opening two years of the controversy, Paul Weller uses the events and arguments of those years as a lens through which to view what later developed, both in relation to the controversy itself, but also its wider entails, and the incidents and issues through which aspects of the original controversy were reprised. The anniversary of the controversy presents a good opportunity to review the incidents, issues and debates of the time in some historical perspective, while also connecting them with subsequent incidents that have reprised some of the key themes, such as the 'cartoons' controversy, the terror attacks of 9/11 and 7/7, and the killing of the Dutch filmmaker, Theo Van Gogh.The book holds up a mirror for our times that will be of interest to academics, politicians, students, and religious believers, as well as to all who are engaged with the twenty-first century challenges posed by living with radical difference, freedom of expression, and mutual respect, with exploring the relationship between religion and secularity, and with overcoming the threats posed by religiously informed violence. Paul Weller is Professor of Inter-Religious Relations at the University of Derby and Visiting Fellow in the Oxford Centre for Christianity and Culture at Regent's Park College, University of Oxford, UK. He is editor of "Religions in the UK: Directory 2007-10", the 2001 edition of which won the Shap Working Party on World Religions in Education prize for 'an outstanding contribution to the teaching of world religions'.