Do We Worship the Same God?: Comparing the Bible And the Qur'an [Paperback]

George Dardess (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 30, 2006

The question I am asking in this book Do we worship the same God? is already being addressed.... No simple, single answer has emerged. Yet the interplay of responses has been thoughtful and generous, indicating that, at least for right now, the discussion itself is more important than the answer.
from the Introduction

Are you a Catholic curious to learn more about Islam? What exactly do Muslims believe? How do those beliefs differ from your own? What do Muslims believe about Jesus? Mary? Satan? Creation? The Holy Spirit? Do we worship the same God?

In Do We Worship the Same God? Comparing the Bible and the Qur'an, George Dardess, a Christian expert on Islam, provides a wealth of information about the teachings of both Christianity and Islam to help readers themselves discern if Christians and Muslims worship the same God. He gives a brief introduction to the history of Islam, draws parallels between Jesus and the prophet Muhammad, and compares what the Bible and the Qur an (the holy book of Islam) teach about creation, Satan, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, prayer, the Jihad, judgment, heaven and hell, and more.

In clear and easy-to-understand language, Dardess guides readers who want to engage in dialogue with Muslims on how to answer the question -- Do we worship the same God? a question of increasing importance since September 11. Chapters end with guided discussion questions.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

GEORGE DARDESS is currently a member of both the Muslim-Catholic Alliance and the Commission on Muslim-Christian Relations in Rochester, New York. He gives retreats, lectures and courses on Islam throughout the United States and is a permanent deacon at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Rochester. He and his wife, Peggy Rosenthal, have one son and two granddaughters.

Product Details

• Paperback: 166 pages
• Publisher: St. Anthony Messenger Press (July 30, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0867167319
• ISBN-13: 978-0867167313
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #957,411 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Groundwork for Dialogue, September 23, 2006

By 

Carol Blank (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Do We Worship the Same God?: Comparing the Bible And the Qur'an (Paperback)

Dardess begins by explaining that until the Second Vatican Council the Catholic Church held that the God worshipped by Muslims, who do not believe Jesus is God, is not the same God as Catholics worship. Two documents from Vatican II, however, found enough commonalties in the two faiths to reverse the earlier position, stating that the Muslim God is the same as the Christian God. The question took on new significance on September 11, 2001, when the media and some religious leaders declared that the Christian God is one of peace and love, and the god of Muslims is one of war and violence.

In the years since, Dardess has studied the Arabic language and the Qur'an at a Mosque in his home town of Rochester N.Y., and worked with the city's Muslim-Catholic Alliance and Commission on Muslim-Christian Relations. From those experiences, he wrote Do We Worship the Same God?" to help readers decide for themselves from textual evidence how the God Catholics and Muslims worship may be the same or different.

The book follows a simple format, starting with two chapters of clearly written background, then presenting 18 short chapters using quotations from the Bible and Qur'an to explain the beliefs of Christians and Muslims on issues such as creation of the universe, war, and God's judgment. Each issue is framed in an introduction and followed by questions for discussion, often with additional details to help readers understand more fully.

The author provides suggestions for group study and expresses the hope that the sessions will lead members to invite a local Muslim group to join them in the discussion. He motivates us further with the story of his own experience in such a dialogue, which has led to joint presentations in the community and rewarding personal friendships.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good starting place for a novice on the Muslim faith, March 3, 2009

By 

EOB71 (Boston) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Do We Worship the Same God?: Comparing the Bible And the Qur'an (Paperback)

I would recommend this book to Christians who want to gain insight into the faith of others.

Over the past three years my husband and I have become very close with our neighbors who are Muslim. Their children and our children are all the same age and have a wonderful relationship with each other. The parents always seem to know when our religious holidays are and are very respectful of our beliefs. I really wanted to reciprocate that kindness but did not know where to start. As a Catholic with a degree in theology and a familiarity with the Bible, the catechism and the teachings of my own church I was embarrassed about how little I know about the Muslim faith and the Quran. This book was a good starting point, written in a very respectful tone. The author does not draw the conclusions for you - although sometimes it seems as though he has strong "leanings" , he does leave the ultimate conclusions to the reader. The only thing I did not like about the book was the author's need to put things in the context of "Post 9/11 America." These references seem like an afterthought and the book would probably read better without them. I would recommend this book to other Christians hoping to gain insight into the faith of others.

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bridging the Divide, August 28, 2008

By 

Sabeeha Rehman - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Do We Worship the Same God?: Comparing the Bible And the Qur'an (Paperback)

George Dardess has taken a complex and sensitive subject and presented it in a highly readable, and comprehensible text. The author has taken each contentious issue, given his assessment, backed his assertions with a side-by-side comparison of the Bible and the Quran, and then posed a list of questions to his Christian readers. The questions are meant to challenge, but more so, to draw the reader out of the traditional mode of thinking and appreciate the similarities in the sacred text.

The simplicity with which he unravels complex theological issues is remarkable. But more than that, his rationale is convincing. It is a reading that is intended to enhance interfaith understanding, to foster respect, and to heal the divide. And it does that remarkably well. It is a book that both Christians and Muslims will find illuminating.