Christian History Home > Issue 74 > Divided by Christ
Divided by Christ
Whether Christians under early Muslim rule used polemic or polite dialogue to defend their faith, they hit an impasse at the Incarnation.
Samuel Hugh Moffett | posted 4/01/2002 12:00AM
Christians who lived under Muslim rule in the eighth century found themselves with an unusual status—second-class but sometimes respected, more often pitied for their "inferior" religion than directly persecuted. This led to some interesting debates.
Then, as now, some Christians cast the discussion in confrontational terms, while others opted for measured interfaith dialogue. The ways in which John of Damascus (ca. 675-749) and Nestorian Patriarch Timothy I (779-823 or 778-821) approached Islam highlight the contrast.
(Note: Nestorianism, which rejected the complete blending of Christ's human and divine natures, was denounced at the 431 Council of Chalcedon. Despite this apparent deviation from orthodox Christianity, Patriarch Timothy presents the faith clearly in his debate with the caliph.)
Polemic Contrasts
John of Damascus, like his father and grandfather before him, held a position of honor in the local Muslim government. But for reasons unknown, in about 726 he retired from public office ...
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