Christian–Muslim Relations

This reference work, the third of three, brings together extracts from the major writings by Christians and Muslims that reflect their awareness of one another and the attitudes they expressed in years 1700–1914. Organized regionally, it covers six continents and shows the impressive range of the encounters that took place between the followers of the two faiths in these centuries. Over 130 extracts from these works appear here in English, many translated for the first time, with introductions, notes and suggestions for further reading. They represent a wide variety of genres, cultural settings, political contexts, religious persuasions and languages. On the Christian side topics include: the Bible’s authenticity, allegations that Muhammad was a womanizing impostor and that Islam is oppressive, and the suggestion that Islam’s monotheism is close to Christianity. On the Muslim side they include: the accusation that the divinity of Christ and God as a Trinity are false teachings, claims that Muslim societies are religiously tolerant and calls for Islamic reform on such matters as gender relations, polygamy and slavery. The introduction provides a historical and geographical summary of Christian–Muslim encounters in the period 1700–1914, a short account of the religious, intellectual and social circumstances in which encounters took place and works were written, and an outline of the main topics of argument.