Common Ground: Islam, Christianity, and Religious Pluralism
Author(s): Paul L. Heck (Author, Contributor)
Publisher: Georgetown University Press
Publication Date: 4 Sept. 2009
Language: English
Print length: 224 pages
ISBN-10: 158901507X
ISBN-13: 9781589015074
Book Description
Christian-Muslim interaction is a reality today in all corners of the globe. While many justly celebrate the commonality of these traditions, significant differences remain. If these religions cannot be easily separated, can we view them through a single but refracted lens? This is the approach Paul L. Heck takes in Common Ground–to undertake a study of religious pluralism as a theological and social reality, and to approach the two religions in tandem as part of a broader discussion on the nature of the good society. In this sense, beliefs, while unique, go beyond doctrines peculiar to a set of believers. To think about Christianity and Islam together is not to compare and contrast two “species” of religion. More profoundly, religious pluralism offers a prism through which a society as a whole–secular and religious alike–can consider its core beliefs and values. Christianity and Islam are not “identities” that mark of particular communities, but reference points that all can comprehend and discuss knowledgeably. This analysis of how Islam and Christianity understand theology, ethics, and politics–specifically, democracy and human rights–offers a way for that discussion to move forward.
Editorial Reviews
Review
The author combines historical perspective and knowledge of sources with informed contemporary analysis, a rare blend in current Islamic scholarship. . . . Common Ground represents a new style of interreligious writing which combines scholarly excellence and spiritual pursuit, two aims often conceived as mutually exclusive. Recommended reading for anyone interested in widening his or her perspective on issues that are pivotal to Muslim-Christian conversations and to present-day debates on Islam’s “compatibility” with the West.
This is a sophisticated little book and well worth reading. . . . A well-argued defence of a pithy insight, drawing on the wisdom and experience of countless Muslims and Christians.
Heck’s easy prose and Islamic learning make it a delightful journey for the reader.
About the Author
Paul L. Heck is an associate professor in the Department of Theology at Georgetown University. He is the author of The Construction of Knowledge in Islamic Civilization and editor of Sufism and Politics: The Power of Spirituality.
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