The relationship between the Christian and Muslim worlds has been a long and tortuous one. Over the course of the centuries the balance of power has swung in a pendulum motion - at times the initiative seems to have lain with the Muslim community, with the Christian world simply being compelled to react to developments outside itself, while at other points the opposite has been true and Muslims have found themselves having to respond to Christian challenges in different forms. Today Christians and Muslims comprise the world's two largest religious communities. Although they can co-exist fairly peacefully, there are times when they still engage in violent confrontation, such as in the recent conflicts in Bosnia and the Sudan. This book investigates the history of the relationships between Christians and Muslims over the centuries, from their initial encounters in the Medieval period when the Muslims were the dominant group, through to the modern period when the balance of power seems to have been reversed. This much-needed overview of the Christian-Muslim encounter places the emphasis on the context within which perceptions and attitudes were worked out and provides a depth of historical insight to the complexities of current Christian-Muslim interactions on different continents.
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This book provides a very interesting study of a little-known subject. Its documentation is excellent and the author offers much food for thought not only to historians but to anybody involved in religious encounter at the present time. The book is easy to read and satisfying in its thoroughnesss without the burden of excessive detail ! The author presents a fair and balanced survey of history that is useful for both Muslim and Christian Readers. For anyone who desires to reach out to Muslims, this work is well worth the effort to read. It is accurate and relevant. ! well-written, densely-packed, comprehensive documented and skilfully analysed book!The bibliographies, if supplemented by the footnotes, offer a generous range of sources to the reader. Students, in particular, will appreciate the clarity of the argument and the balanced selection by the author from every shade of opinion. This book provides a very interesting study of a little-known subject. Its documentation is excellent and the author offers much food for thought not only to historians but to anybody involved in religious encounter at the present time. The book is easy to read and satisfying in its thoroughnesss without the burden of excessive detail ! The author presents a fair and balanced survey of history that is useful for both Muslim and Christian Readers. For anyone who desires to reach out to Muslims, this work is well worth the effort to read. It is accurate and relevant. ! well-written, densely-packed, comprehensive documented and skilfully analysed book!The bibliographies, if supplemented by the footnotes, offer a generous range of sources to the reader. Students, in particular, will appreciate the clarity of the argument and the balanced selection by the author from every shade of opinion.
About the Author
Hugh Goddard is Director of the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Centre for the Study of Islam in the Contemporary World at the University of Edinburgh.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perhaps the Best of Its Kind,
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This review is from: A History of Christian-Muslim Relations (Paperback)
Goddard's book is a fair, constructive, and irenic history of these two religions that, unfortunately, have battled one another for centuries. I am using it as the first text in a college course on Christianity and Islam. It journeys through the historical terrain of Christian-Muslim relations as deftly as any book out there. In comparison to other books that attempt to do the same thing, Goddard's account is reader-friendly and shot through with interesting stories that cause students to reflect on what went wrong at critical moments between Muslims and Christians, what we can learn from these situations, and what we can do now to engage in constructive dialogue. The book's eight chapters tell the story of how Christianity and Islam emerged from Middle Eastern soil, Muhammad's interactions with Christians, then considers the various periods of Christian-Muslim interaction: the first age, the medieval period, the era of mission and imperialism, and the 19th-20th centuries (13th-14th centuries for Muslims). The final chapter challenges readers to move beyond confrontation to dialogue, to draw on the best of each of their traditions, and to view Christians and Muslims as fellow travelers on the road toward truth. Therefore, if you are looking for a resource that tells the all too often heartbreaking story of Christian-Muslim relations, then points to the possibilities for mutual understanding and peaceful coexistence, this is the book for you.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
goldmine,
By C.N. (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A History of Christian-Muslim Relations (Paperback)
This book is a veritable goldmine of information concerning the Muslim-Christian encounter throughout the mutual history of these faiths. While it is concise and moves quickly, it has concentrated a great deal of information into a relatively short work. The topic of this book is one which is not often written about but is extremely applicable to understanding today's world both politically, culturally, and religiously.
4 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
With an emphasis on changing relationships and ideals,
By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A History of Christian-Muslim Relations (Paperback)
This history covers changing relationships between Muslim and Christian worlds, examining how the two largest religious communities have interacted over the ages. Hugh Goddard's History Of Christian-Muslim Relations is a fine survey with an emphasis on changing relationships and ideals on both sides.
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