Christians and Muslims in conversation

by Leo D. Lefebure

This summer, Georgetown University and Hartford Seminary cosponsored the fifth Institute on Christian-Muslim Relations at Georgetown. For some, the Georgetown gathering was an introduction to Muslim-Christian history and relations. Others, such as Norm Nelson of Compassion Radio and Camp Brotherhood trustee Mohammed Fani, have been involved in interreligious efforts for some time. For all of us, the event fostered meaningful conversation, mutual learning and relationships.

I gave a presentation to a Muslim audience on early Christian developments and diversity. I noted recent developments in the study of Judaism and early Christianity and mentioned that later Rabbinic Judaism was not fully formed at the time of Jesus. This comment sparked tremendous interest, and we quickly moved into a discussion of the varieties of Judaism from the first century C.E. through the formation of the Talmud.

The conversation reinforced my sense that the Jewish character of Jesus and his first followers is one of the most important elements in the relation between Christianity and Islam. Muslims can readily accept the portrait of Jesus as a Jewish prophet who proclaimed the reign of God, who challenged the religious and governmental authorities of his time, who healed people and taught radical obedience to God.

Later I gave a lecture to Christian attendees on the history of Christian theological responses to Islam. I brought up the early-20th-century Protestant scholars who argued that Islam should be understood as a new development of Jewish Christianity—and I pointed out that Jewish scholar Hans-Joachim Schoeps agreed. I recalled an earlier meeting at which I discussed current views of the historical Jesus and then examined New Testament interpretations. Afterwards a Muslim scholar said to me, “First, you gave me a very Muslim Jesus, and then you added all this Christian stuff.”

It is easier for Muslims to relate to Jesus when Christians highlight his Jewishness. Muslims can welcome much of the discussion of the historical Jesus, with the notable exception of his crucifixion, but they strongly object to presentations of Jesus as the incarnation of the pre-existent divine Word or as the eternal Son of God.

Discussions of the development of trinitarian doctrine and the status of Christian language about God elicited one animated question after another from Muslim participants. There was also great interest in similarities between anti-Catholicism earlier in U.S. history and the suspicion that Muslims frequently encounter today. Some Muslims in the States look to the history of American Catholics for lessons on how to survive and flourish in a sometimes hostile climate.

More recently I attended an iftar dinner at a historic synagogue in DC. Muslims of the Islamic Society of North America, led by Sayyid Syeed, and the All Dulles Area Muslim Society joined with Jews, Hindus and Christians in breaking their fast at the end of the day during their holy month of Ramadan. Before the dinner, Syeed told me that he believed this was the first time in history that an iftar had been celebrated at a synagogue.

Leo D. Lefebure, author of Revelation, the Religions and Violence and a Century editor at large, teaches at Georgetown University's campus in Qatar.