ABSTRACT

First published in 2005, this book addresses the challenges arising from Christian-Muslim encounter and attempts to enable outsiders to understand the religion of Islam. The author offers distinctive perspectives that compliment much other literature in the study of Islam and in particular Christian-Muslim relations and the relation of Islam and the west. The book is divided into three parts: Part I constitutes an introduction to Islam, Part II delves into aspects of the wider encounter with Islam and Part III explores issues in regard to the prospect of engaging in dialogue with Islam. The author argues that in the post-9/11 world the imperative to understand and engage with Islam is urgent and intends this work to assist the reader in doing so.

chapter 1|8 pages

Introduction

part |2 pages

PART I: UNDERSTANDING ISLAM: A PRECURSOR TO DIALOGUE

chapter 3|20 pages

Scripture and Tradition: Qur'an and Sunnah

chapter 4|24 pages

Islamic Community: Sunni, Shiʻa, Sufi

chapter 5|24 pages

Belief, Practice and Law: Being Muslim

part |2 pages

PART II: ENCOUNTERING ISLAM: PARADIGMS AND CONTEXTS

part |2 pages

PART III: ENGAGEMENT WITH ISLAM: PROSPECTS FOR DIALOGUE

chapter 9|18 pages

Barriers to Dialogue: Perceptions of Islam

chapter 10|14 pages

Dialogue and Daʻlwah: Elements of Encounter

chapter 12|6 pages

Conclusion