Christians and Muslims: Children of Abraham – Some Books for Digging Deeper July 17, 2011
Posted by Brother Stephen in Interfaith, Spirituality and Prayer.Tags: interfaith, Islam, religions, Spirituality and Prayer
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In today’s sermon I continue my comments on how Christians should relate to people of other religions. I looked specifically at Islam. I’ll post both sermons in the next few days after a little editing. For now I’d like to suggest several books that I’ve found helpful in understanding Islam.
No god but God: The Origins, Evolution and Future of Islam, by by Reza Aslan, is a fascinating resource. Aslan traces the development of the religion from pre-Islamic Arabia through the present day, describing forces and movements that gave rise to current events. He identifies (and advocates for) a reformation presently roiling within the Muslim world. (on 7/14 I reviewed the book on Nebraska NPR’s All about Books.
The Heart of Islam: Enduring Values for Humanity, by Seyyed Hossein Nasr, gives a more structured look at the beliefs and practices of Muslims. There is, for example, a beautifully written and very moving chapter on the oneness of God and the inherent unity of creation, as well as commentary on love, justice and Shar’ia law.
I’m also reading Allah: A Christian Response, by Miroslav Volf. This Christian theologian sets out to demonstrate that Christians and Muslims worship the same God and that, even given major differences, there are significant parallels between the two religions and much that they can share with each other.
If you’re interested in Sufism, The Sufi Book of Life: 99 Pathways of the Heart for the Modern Dervish, by Neil Douglas-Klotz, gives a Christian’s devotional venture into this approach to knowing God intimately.
And don’t miss The Essential Rumi or other collections of poems by Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi. Rumi was a 13th-century Persian poet and Sufi mystic who lived in Konya, in modern day Turkey. His followers became the Mevlevi Sufi order, also known as Whirling Dervishes.
Christianity, Buddhism and Islam – some books from July 10 Sermon July 11, 2011
Posted by Brother Stephen in Uncategorized.Tags: Buddhism, interfaith, Islam, religions
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As part of the summer series at Saint Paul, I am preaching two sermons on how Christians should regard people of other religions. I’m making some observations on the question in general, then giving some attention to Buddhism and Islam in particular.
In my sermon yesterday I stated the premise “that we can walk the Path of Jesus without denying the legitimacy of other paths God may provide for humanity. I believe we can be thoroughly faithful, devout Christians and still recognize that other religions have validity.”
I am indebted for this wording to Eric Elnes in The Phoenix Affirmations: A New for the Future of Christianity. I also found Brian McLaren’s book, A New Kind of Christianity, to be helpful and an inspiration.
Another book that I didn’t mention but is very worth reading is Relating to People of Other Religions: What Every Christian Needs to Know, by Thomas Thangaraj.
There are many books on Buddhism. The Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh has written prolifically. I mentioned Going Home: Jesus and Buddha as Brothers; his book Living Buddha, Living Christ is good, too. I have also appreciated The Miracle of Mindfulness.
In Happiness Here and Now: The Eightfold Path of Jesus Revisited with Buddhist Insights, Elizabeth West looks at ways Jesus’ Beatitudes resonate with Buddhist teachings. Very interesting! And I found Steve Hagen’s little book, Buddhism Plain and Simple, to be helpful.
Next Sunday I’ll talk about Islam. As with Buddhism won’t attempt a systematic review of the religion, but simply give the briefest description, identify some values we share, attempt to correct some misperceptions and offer a few observations on things I appreciate.
Stephen Griffith
