Muslim-Christian Rel: Glbl Ftr

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Christians and Muslims together constitute half of the world’s population. No problem on the global stage – from terrorism and the refugee crisis to culture clash – can be separated from the way these two communities interact and view each other. Christian-Muslim relations include missionary competition and alliances for shared values. This course considers patterns of Christian-Muslim relations for insight into future interreligious engagement. How have these two communities interacted historically? How do they view each other theologically? Can we imagine a global future that moves beyond suspicions in favor of common spiritual journey? We will take into account sociological realities on the ground that shape Christian-Muslim relations and also types of theological encounter that have either fostered suspicion or facilitated cross-religious spiritual solidarity. Goals: understand recurring patterns and problems in Christian-Muslim relations; identify areas of reconciliation and collaboration; see relations between sociological realities and theological reflections; grasp factors helping/hindering Christian-Muslim co-existence; do scholarly research on a Christian-Muslim topic. This course is designed for both upper-level undergraduates, including but not only Theology and Religious Studies (THRS) majors, and also graduate students.