7/28/2019 ALLAH: A Christian Response
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FORIMMEDIATERELEASE
Contact:JulieBurton;(415)[email protected]
Iwantedthetruth,notpoliticallyexpedientorideologicallycorrectpositions.And,afollowerofChristasIwas,Iwantedthetruthseenwiththeeyesofinvitingandreconcilinglove,notthetruthbornofcoldindifferenceorsimmeringhatred.
MiroslavVolf,fromtheIntroduction
ALLAH:AChristianResponsebyMiroslavVolf
FromOneoftheWorldsForemostChristianTheologians,aTimelyandProvocativeArgumentthatMuslimsandChristiansWorshiptheSameGod
3.6billionpeople,themajorityoftheworldspopulation,professChristianityorIslam.And
whileithaslongbeenanuneasycoexistence,thepost9/11worldhasseentensionsriseasboth
sidesofthedivideseektoseeonlydifferences,ortoundulyemphasizesimilarities.
InALLAH:AChristianResponse(HarperOne;March2011;Hardcover),renownedscholarandYaleDivnitySchoolprofessorMiroslavVolfmakestheboldclaimthatMuslimsandChristians
actuallyworshipthesameGodtheonlyGod.Goingevenfurther,herevealsthatapersoncan
bebothapracticingMuslimandanactiveChristianwithoutdenyingcoreconvictions.
Ashe
explains,warriorsintheclashofcivilizationshaveusedreligiontodivideandoppose,failingto
recognizetheoneGodwhomMuslimsandChristiansunderstandinonlypartlydifferentways.
Writingfrom
aChristian
perspective,
and
in
dialogue
with
leading
Muslim
scholars
and
leaders
throughouttheglobe,Volfrevealssurprisingpointsofintersectionandoverlapbetweenthese
twofaithtraditions;healsoexplainsthehiddenagendasbehindvarioussourcesfromtodays
newsstoriestotextstraightoutoftheBibleandtheQuraninsearchofthefullestpictureof
wherethesefaithsdivergeandwheretheymeet.
Religiouswarsbecomerealwars,Volfargues,andenormouscontemporaryinterestinthe
theologicalandhistoricalintersectionsofIslamandChristianityreflectsjusthowmuchisat
stake.Persuasivelyarguedandexpertlyresearched,ALLAHoffersaconstructivevisionforanewpluralismandhopeforbuildingacommonfuture.
AbouttheAuthorMiroslavVolfistheHenryB.WrightProfessorofSystematicTheologyatYaleDivinitySchool.His
previousbooksincludeAgainsttheTide:LoveinaTimeofPettyDreamsandPersistingEnmities(2010)andAfterOurLikeness:TheChurchastheImageoftheTrinity(1998),winneroftheChristianityTodaybookaward.AnativeofCroatia,heregularlyteachesandlecturesinCentralandEasternEurope.
PraiseforAllah:
7/28/2019 ALLAH: A Christian Response
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NoteveryoneinAmericaisawarethatAllahissimplytheArabicnameforGodandisusedby
notonlyMuslimsbutalsoChristianArabs.ProfessorVolfhasrenderedgreatservicetothecause
ofmutualreligiousunderstandingandalsopeaceindemonstratinginaclear,convincingand
accessiblelanguagethefundamentaltruththatChristiansandMuslimsworshipthesame
God.SeyyedHosseinNasr,authorofIslamintheModernWorldCentraltoVolfsbookisonebasicpoint,namelythatChristiansandMuslimsworshipthesame
God,howeverdifferentlytheymayrespondtothatdeity.Inboldandcarefullyreasoned
arguments,Volfshowshowthisawarenessofcommonbeliefscanandmustformthebasisfor
allfuturedialoguesbetweenthetwofaiths.Hisworkisasconvincingasitislucid.
PhilipJenkins,authorofJesusWarsMiroslavVolfisatheologianwhoshowsthattheologyisnotjustaboutreflectingontheworld,
itisessentiallyaboutmendingtheworld.InAllah,hehasshowncourageintakinghisfellow
Christiansonapersonal,political,andtheologicaljourneywhichbeginsandendswiththe
explorationofGodwhoVolfconcludesisthesameforChristiansandMuslims,albeit
understoodindifferentways.Acontroversialbutabsorbingandaccessiblereadforboth
Christiansand
Muslims.
MonaSiddiqui,professorofIslamicstudies,UniversityofGlasgow
ItshardtoimagineaquestionmoreinflammatoryandsensitivethantheoneVolfengagesin
thesepages.AnditsimpossibletonameanyChristianleaderbettersuitedtograpplewithit.
Eventhosewhodisagreewithhisboldanswer,iftheyreadwithanopenmind,willbestretched
anddeepenedastheyread.Andthosewhointheendagreewillbeequippedtobewise
peacemakersinaworldtoofullofburningfuses.
BrianMcLaren,authorofANewKindofChristianityandNakedSpiritualityVolfhaslongbeenoneofourmostfaithfulandengagingcommentatorsontheChristianfaith.
Inthisquitewonderfulbook,VolfplacesourChristianknowledgeofGodinrespectful,
compassionate,
intelligent
conversation
with
Islam.
Ive
read
many
attempts
to
think
like
ChristiansaboutIslam.ThisisthebestIveread.VolfwonderfullyexplicatesIslaminawaythat
demonstratesthebestofChristianthoughtaboutGod.
WilliamH.Willimon,bishop,theUnitedMethodistChurchMostbooksonthecriticallyimportantcurrentencounterbetweenChristianityandIslamfocus
eitherontheculturalorpoliticalarea.Afewdiscussthereligiousandtheologicalissues.But
Volfsbookbrilliantlyaddressesallthesedimensionsintheirintricateinterconnection.Futher,
heskillfullyweavesinhisownpersonalexperiencesasoneoftheprincipalparticipantsinthis
epochaldialogue.Theresultisawonderfullyreadableandinformativeintellectualandspiritual
treatthathelpsbridgeagapthatmustbecomeaconversationandnotaclash.HarveyCox,HollisResearchProfessorofDivinity,HarvardUniversity,andauthorofTheFutureofFaith
ALLAH:AChristianResponseByMiroslavVolf
HarperOne,anImprintofHarperCollinsPublishersMarch2011|$25.99|Hardcover|ISBN:9780061927072
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