Pilgrims of Christ on the Muslim Road

About this book

"Today's tensions between the "Islamic" East and "Christian" West run high. Here Paul-Gordon Chandler presents fresh thinking in the area of Christian-Muslim relations, showing how Christ - whom Islam reveres as a prophet and Christianity serves as Lord - can close the gap between the two religions. Historically, Christians have taken a confrontational or missionary approach toward Islam, leading many Muslims to identify Christianity with the cultural prejudices and hegemonic ambitions of Westerners. On the individual level, Christ-followers within Islam have traditionally been encouraged by Christians to break away from their Muslim communities." "Chandler boldly explores how these two major religions - which share much common heritage - can not only coexist but also enrich each other. He illustrates his perspective with examples from the life of Syrian novelist Mazhar Mallouhi, widely read in the Middle East. Mallouhi, a self-identified "Sufi Muslim follower of Christ," seeks to bridge the chasm of misunderstanding between Muslims and Christians through his novels." "Building on the common Middle Eastern heritage the Christian faith shares with Islam, Chandler demonstrates the importance of removing Western cultural and religious trappings associated with Christ in the minds of Muslims, and encourages all to follow a Christ who first walked the Middle Eastern road."--BOOK JACKET.