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Christianity Today, February, 2007 |

Can We Dialogue with Islam?

What 38 Muslim scholars said to the pope in a little-known open letter.

J. Dudley Woodberry | posted 1/31/2007 08:37AM

When Pope Benedict XVI commented on Islam in an address at the University of Regensburg in Germany on September 12, he quoted a 14th-century Byzantine emperor who said, "Show me what Muhammad brought ...

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dale	Posted: February 12, 2007 9:59 PM

It is good to read this and get various perspectives. But even more questions arise than are answered. Bernard Lewis, Princeton professor and Islamic expert whom even Muslims admire for his fairness toward their faith, says that it is difficult to extrapolate the political from the religious in Islam. There is not theology in Islam of 'church and state.' Both are one. That these Muslim scholars do separate them as noted above, causes me to question what is really going on. I am willing to engage in dialog, for sure. But I come from a tradition that says YHWH is not able to break his promises. Allah, on the other hand, is allowed to break his treaties and so are his followers. There is no easy answer. I hope the dialogs can continue with both faiths standing in their truest allegiance without tinkering their religion to fit modernity.

George M.

Posted: February 08, 2007 1:43 PM

I do not think that dialogue with Muslims will do any good. For the Christian, the bridge to God is Christ; as a refresher, read Matthew 7:15, and of course John 14 so that we can generally understand what God's Formula is; Islam rejects this, so no dialogue of any kind will bridge the gap, and conflict ultimately results. Yes, common good and world peace should dictate tolerance between religions (and other values), but eventually, when there are only two powers standing face-to-face, one will always try to step over the other. Yes Islam is tolerant, but on its own terms until, once more, an opportunity will come to justify conquest by the sword. Peace always works when you have no opponent. However, as Islam rejects Jesus as the resurrected Saviour (and they obviously do not respect the words of Jesus in the New Testament) they will always find us to be an opponent. The depth of this subject unfortunately goes far beyond the scope of this commentary...

Sarah

Posted: February 06, 2007 11:28 PM

If you want to understand Islam it is important to read the whole Koran. It is vastly different than the New Testament. Jihad in the koran is not described much as a struggle but it is described as bloodshed for the sake of either subduing or eliminating any opposition to Islam. Violence has indeed has been done by Christians even in the name of God and it is wrong, but you cannot find anything spoken by Jesus to justify the violence, nor did he ever do violence unless you call driving out the money changers at the temple violence. Virtually all Muslim Nations have horrible human rights violations and though Muslim's religious freedom is protected in Western nations, Christians in Muslim nations can be put in jail, even executed if they talk about Jesus to a Muslim (see www.persecution.com) Yes there are Muslims who are peaceful and not all follow the violent practices of Muhammed, but sadly plenty in the Koran encouraged Bin Laden type actions.

Rick	Posted: February 06, 2007 8:04 PM

Recently on Speaking of Faith they covered a simiar topic: "The greatest threat in the post-Cold War world, says Douglas Johnston, is the prospective marriage of religious extremism with weapons of mass destruction. Yet the U.S. spends most of its time, resources, and weapons fighting the symptoms of this threat, not the cause. The diplomacy of the future, he is showing, must engage religion as part of the strategic solution to global conflicts." Go on line and listen to this segment at: http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/diplomacyandreligion/index.shtml Jesus rode on a donkey to Jerusalem with good reason. Jesus constantly called upon Christains to follow him and not the ways of our culture or the world.

Daniel Cook

Posted: February 06, 2007 3:32 PM

I understand that we all want peace and we all want to get along. But the real issue here is that Jesus Christ came to save sinners. He is the only begotten Son of God, who died for the sins of all those who would believe. I know many a muslim and we are on different pages. Christianity is not the Catholic church, or the Baptist Church it is the Church is Jesus Christ. Therefore you can debate all day long, until the muslims accept Jesus Christ as there personal Lord and Savior they are lost and bound to Hell like everybody else that rejects Jesus. I love everybody and I respect the muslim person but I will never back away for the truth of Gods Holy Word. The muslim call Jesus a good prophet, this is half true, the bible say any one that denies Jesus Christ cannot get to the Father. So without Jesus or any religons that doesn't accept this doctrine is lost. And that the Word of God.

Leigh

Posted: February 05, 2007 3:33 AM

I disagree. For example the no compulsion verse as explained by ibn Kathir actually means the opposite of what the scholars of Islam say. It was reported that the Ansar were the reason behind revealing this verse, although its indication is general in meaning. Ibn Jarir recorded that Ibn `Abbas said that before Islam "When (an Ansar tribal ) woman would not bear children who would live, she would vow that if she gives birth to a child who remains alive, she would raise him as a Jew. When Banu An-Nadir (the Jewish tribe) were evacuated from Al-Madinah, some of the children of the Ansar were being raised among them, and the Ansar said, `We will not abandon our children.' When the Ansar women wished to raise their Muslim children, if they remained alive, as Jews, they are warned against forcing their children into Judaism. Let them remain in Islam, as Islam is the only true religion, distinctly clear from the falsehood of Judaism.

Emlyn

Posted: February 04, 2007 5:51 PM

The tone of some of these comments really worries me. Time and time again we evangelicals plead that people won't generalize about us, tar everyone with the same brush and so on. But when it comes to people who are different to us, such as Muslims, we do exactly that. Muslims are not all alike and in any case, some of us seem to lose sight of the fact that these are people for whom Christ died. Perhaps it's time that we got out a bit and found out what the world is really like rather than just listening to people who are like us and agree with us. And perhaps it's worth remembering that everything we write on the Web is accessible to anyone who wants to read it, not just people 'of evangelical conviction' as CT says!

DiverCity

Posted: February 02, 2007 11:02 AM

The problem, Dr. Woodbury, as you should know, is that the Koran gives its adherents the impetus to lie to deceive you about their intentions. You also know that the Koranic verses cited by the pope (before he himself caved to the jihadists and their threats and, indeed, actions) support his statements. For Islam to truly moderate, it will require scholars who do not actually believe what their scriptures teach. That, my friends, is not about to happend in the foreseeable future. As of now, their is no truly moderate branch of Islam.

Anna	Posted: February 02, 2007 2:22 AM

Ya, you men love the idea of talking with Muslims because Islam gives you the power to kill, torture, and treat women as below slaves. And infidels are simply burned out or burned to death while the police stand by and do nothing because the koran says its okay for the muslim on the street to treat non muslims that way. Islam is nothing but a copy of Judaism and Christ with their words tristed by the prophet into his own belief that brings everybody to their knees to live in uglyness such as poverty. Jesus and his twelve never murdered each other or anybody else. In fact, they were murdered by non-believers. Islam was born out of muslims murdering each other. This is what you are up against. Sounds like the Nazis, doesn't it. If it wasn't for the United States, the Nazis would be ruling the world right now with all Jews and us dead and remember everybody tried to get along with them too until they got to Britain.

The Rev. Dr. Francis E. Jeffery

Posted: February 02, 2007 1:58 AM

An excellent study. The "footnotes" used are very valuable to honest study of the speaking by the Pope and the Islamic theologians. These are the people that should be quoted in our news media rather than the resident sword bearer in Baghdad. Honesty would request that the Christian use of scripture to "prove" actions is like unto those in the Muslim community that quote the Jihad phrases to justify killing their own people as well as the Infedel.

Andrew

Posted: February 01, 2007 3:36 AM

Writing from a British perspective I think dialogue with Muslims is essential if we are to bear faithful witness to the calling of Jesus upon us to "Love our neighbour", "Love our enemies" and "be peacemakers", haw can we love someone if we never meet them, or are willing to listen to them? I run a number of dialogue events for Christian and Muslim teenagers and I can testify that entering into dialogue is a place of learning but also of sharing of being able to testify to the hope we have within us. I am also deeply troubled by the resiprocity argument that says until some people in another country behave as I want I won't talk to you. Why do so many Christians blame ordinary Muslims in the West for the way Muslims behave in other countries. I deplore the way that christian minorities are treated in many Muslim countires but with the Muslims I meet I will try to live by doing to others as I would have them do to me, not by insisting that they (and others) change before I'll meet them

Michael

Posted: February 01, 2007 2:56 AM

Too bad the Pope had to be the one to start this dialogue. I hope that our Christian leaders would open their eyes and start national dialogues not only on Islam but on other subjects as well. We can't hide our candle under the basket and expect the world to know what Christians have to offer the world. I agree that Islam treats women as secondary humans but they are not going to go away until Jesus comes from the East. Pray that day comes soon.

Anna	Posted: January 31, 2007 10:58 PM

As a woman I'm not interested in getting along with Islam. I'm interested in wiping it from the face of this earth. The issue is not the beliefs we have in common, the issue is the beliefs we don't have in common. Women are and have been treated abominably under Islam and it started with the prophet. With outside critizing women are being treated better now but not because of Islam doing so willingly but being forced to do so. Jesus never treated women abominably. Church people did but Jesus never said to do so. He never organized a military to fight with those who disagreed with him and called it self-defense. The Moslem prophet did form a military using tribesmen the first chance he was strong enough to do so. Jesus did not teach to intermix his faith/beliefs into a religion controling government making the gov.and religion one and the same. The prophet did simply because that was the easiest and quickist way to conquer and control men and women. To you men, enough said.

lewsta

Posted: January 31, 2007 10:02 PM

a quick survey of the countries round the world where Islam has recently come to dominante,and their means implemented, reveals their claim of islam as a religion of peace, resorting first to entreaty and reason, is a lie. Indonesia, Iryan Jaya, Ethiopia, Sudan, major progress in their ascendency in the Philippines ,the Balkans, Nigeria...and the list goes on, and now significant inroads in the UK, France, Spain, and here in the USA with their operations in prisons, the Representative from Minnesota, Mr. Obama with his questionable history in islam, oh, and don't forget Canada, with the recent promotion of the concept of shariah law in limited circumstances. We Americans must awaken, and that soon, to curb the rapid and rabid spread of this false and dangerous religion. When my bretheren are free to believe as they choose without fear of the death sentence, to carry and read their bibles at will, I may be more open to dialogue. Their words do not coincide with their reality.

Theodore

Posted: January 31, 2007 1:28 PM


I must admit that the Pope knew what he was doing, the first real diologue in a while is beginning to occur, to a considerable degree pushed along in Benedict XVI's speech at Regensberg. Followed up by a strategic visit to secular but predominantly Muslim Turkey, at a time of great unrest, he is seeking diologue that may lead to eventual peace.

Brent Vermillion, Valencia, Spain

Posted: January 31, 2007 1:22 PM

While I recognize the validity of friendship as a means to evangelize muslims (or anyone else) and appreciate dialogue from a biblical perspective, I also note that Islam is a false religion inspired by what Paul in his letter to Timothy would call doctrines of demons and spiritual deception. How many millions of Muslims are in hell today because of their sincere but false belief system. If Jesus Christ were alive in the flesh today I suspect his priority would be to evangelize the muslim in love. Nonetheless, he would correct them where they are wrong. I doubt He would be looking to cozy up to them politically so Christians might gain some favors.

Jeff W. Grand Rapids, MI

Posted: January 31, 2007 1:15 PM

Thanks Dr. Woodberry. Nothing proves to us more that Muslims are loved by God than in the way that Satan works so hard to create an environment of fear and isolationism around Christian's and Muslim's. While I think that Islam has significant errors in its theology - We all "have fallen short" -and continue daily to do so, may I add. If we will just take a breath and change our focus for a moment and do battle against Satan and his strategy of isolating us, that we can ultimately come to be the family of God together. Good theology can be a natural by product of a great relationship with God and each other. His Holy Spirit will work if we let Him. And even if we end up with significant theological differences, we won't have fear to keep us from our God given mission of leading them and others into a new or deeping relationship with God through His Son. We ought not let a minority radical group of Christians OR Muslims dictate our future together. jeff.webb@lolintl.org

John Galt

Posted: January 31, 2007 12:56 PM


Muslims in this country, especially young students, are, in my admittedly limited experience, open to sincere friendship. Few get invited into an American home. Most are surprised to learn that Americans, too, can love God and family, since Hollywood regards both as inconsequential.

Horace Jeffery Hodges

Posted: January 31, 2007 12:46 PM

I would like to know more about these scholars. What other statements have they made about Islam and non-Muslims? I have read things that do not sound very peaceful, particularly statements by the Grand Mufti of Egypt, Ali Jumuah, who was signatory number 15, and by Muhammad Ali Taskhiri, whom the open letter identifies as an Ayatollah whose office is Secretary-General of the World Assembly for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thoughts, Iran, and who was signatory number 32. For more on this point, see my Gypsy Scholar blog entry of October 24, 2006: "Doubts about the 'Open Letter to Pope Benedict XVI'" (http://gypsyscholarship.blogspot.com/2006/10/doubts-about-open-letter-to-pope.html).

Chris C.

Posted: January 31, 2007 12:25 PM


Excellent article, Dr. Woodberry. I always enjoy reading your articles and insights into the Muslim world. I wish more Christians would seek to dialogue with Muslims, instead of demonizing them, as so often happens.

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