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A ready-to-download Bible Study on this article is available at ChristianBibleStudies.com. These unique Bible studies use articles from current issues of Christianity Today to prompt thought-provoking discussions in adult Sunday school classes or small groups.

Also appearing on our site today:

Does God Hear Muslim's Prayers?We must remember that God does not deal with theologies; he deals with persons.

Christianity Today's January cover package by James A. Beverley examined Islam teachings:

Is Islam a Religion of Peace?The controversy reveals a struggle for the soul of Islam.

A Many Splintered ThingThough Muslims shared allegiance to Muhammad and to the Qur'an, Islam faced division as soon as the prophet died.

James A. Beverley's Christ & Islam: Understanding the Faith of the Muslims is available at Christianbook.com.

Richard Selzer's Mortal Lessons is available at Amazon.com.

In 2000, Christianity Today focused on Muslim-Christian relations in a series by Wendy Murray Zoba. Articles included:

Islam, U.S.A.Are Christians prepared for Muslims in the mainstream?

Islamic FundamentalsChristians have a responsibility to understand our Muslim neighbors and their beliefs

How Muslims See ChristianityMany Muslims don't understand Christianity—especially the idea of salvation by grace through faith.

Engaging Our Muslim NeighborsThe Church faces a challenge not just to understand Muslims, but to befriend them.

Christian sites discussing Muslim beliefs about Jesus and Christianity are available at The Muslim-Christian Debate, Answering Islam, Campus Crusade for Christ, and FarsiNet.

Muslim perspectives on Jesus and Christianity are also ubiquitous online. They include Al-Sunnah, Harakah, Islam 101, Answering Christianity, and WhatIsIslam.com

Islamic and scholar's sites of interest include:

• Al-Muhaddith (download the Qur'an, hadith, and legal material)
  
  
• Islamic Studies, Islam (includes an extensive list of links to articles and papers on Islam and recent terrorism)
  
  
• Islamic Gateway (features great graphic, good organization, and
  
  
• IslamiCity (evangelism)
  
  
• Mamalist of Islamic Links (features over 1,000 links)
  
  
• Musalman: the Islamic Portal (includes good news coverage)
  
  

Adherents.com is the place to go for geographical breakdowns and other statistics related to the adherents of any religion.

In a recent column for Christianity Today, Philip Yancey reprinted a letter from a Muslim. Written shortly after the September 11 attacks, the letter read: "I read some books about the prophet Muhammad and the Islamic faith by Western scholars. I was shocked to learn a lot of things about my religion that I never knew."

In early October, Books & Culture Corner's John Wilson reported that "until a month ago, learning more about Islam was a low priority for all too many Americans. Since the attack, that has changed." In November, Wilson said "There's good reason to believe that there will be staying power to the West's belated 'discovery' of Islam."

In the 1998 article, "Is Islam the enemy?," Sojourners magazine said that the navigation of the road ahead for Christians and Muslims would have profound consequences for both communities—and for the world.

A version of this article also appears at Breakpoint.org. It is adapted from a speech George gave at the October 2001 retreat and meeting of the Board of Directors of Prison Fellowship Ministries.