48 of 51 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
How much Islam has in common with Christianity, September 1, 2003
By A Customer
As an Arab Christian who have lived in an Islamic environment, I have always known that Muslims cherished and respected Jesus as one of their prophets, but little did I know about the actual sayings they ascribe to him. I was therefore intrigued by the topic of this book: what do Muslims really think about Jesus, and how does their conception differ from ours? I found this book to contain excellent answers to satisfy my curiosity and arouse further interest in the subject.
This book is the first collection in English of all the sayings in early Islamic literature (Hadith) attributed to Jesus. Thus they are the authoritative guide to what Islam knows and thinks about Jesus. The rendering into English is excellent and easily readable, and the author's commentary on each saying is a useful addition. I decided to read the introduction before the sayings, and was thankful for doing so (despite its length), as the introduction adds a wealth of background material about the origin of the sayings, their relationship to Christianity, and their evolution within the early Islamic context. The scholarship of the author is impeccable, and the work is a superb example of how unbiased objective scholarship should be, as the author takes no sides, except that of deep curiosity to find out the truth.
While reflecting the certain theological differences between the Islamic Jesus and the Christian Jesus, these sayings are evidence for a surprising similarity in attitude and values between the two religions. No doubt some of these sayings are influenced by translations of the gospels and apocryphal texts into Arabic and by the large Arab Christian community during that period. However, much of the wisdom therein is of a universal nature that transcends religious divisions and reflects a common human denominator.
Another feature of this book is its insights about the early Islamic period. Although I have read many books about Islam, most of them portray the religion as a stagnant system that was revealed at a single time to the Prophet Mohammad. Instead, this book demonstrates how Islam evolved dynamically over its first few centuries, much like how early Christianity was an evolving religion. Thus we see how various factions of Islam competed and had their own concepts of what the religion should be, and `used' lore from prophetic figures such as Jesus to strengthen their arguments. This whole concept of an evolving religion throws great doubts upon the ideals of modern-day "fundamentalists" who apparently wish to recreate "early Islam". By exposing the myriad differences between Muslims themselves, and the closeness of some important Islamic elements to Christianity, "The Muslim Jesus" also throws a lot of doubt on some Westerners today who somehow feel threatened by Islam and lump all Muslims together as "enemies of Christianity".
For all these reasons, I strongly recommend The Muslim Jesus for a highly enjoyable, and thought-provoking read.
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30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating..., March 25, 2002
This is a wonderful book. If you truly wish to understand the Islamic view of Jesus, this book is a must. Through its pages are many stories and sayings of Jesus, some instantly recognizable, others less so.
Rather than studying 'dry' comparative religious texts discussing 'Islam vs. Christianity/Jesus' (which are foundationally necessary), try reading this book as an alternative. Not only will you come to understand how Jesus is viewed in Islam but you will also get a sense of the 'spirit' of Islam.
The introduction presents the major themes in any discussion on this topic and raises many questions, yet leaves them open ended. Yet the answers make their way through the pages of the rest of the book. This book will enlighten you to the fact that in the earliest days of Islam, the bitter and often violent antagonism that seems so apparent these days was not always so and in that sense perhaps hope will spring eternal from these pages.
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16 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Multicultural Jesus, September 10, 2001
By A Customer
This book reveals how another major world civilization viewed Jesus: as a prophet, teacher, ascetic, and iconoclast. It displays a new facet of Jesus, which is highly relevant to our times. I'll definitely assign this text in one of my undergraduate courses.
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