According to the Pew Research Center, only 41 percent of Americans are able to state both the Muslim name for God and the name of the Islamic sacred text. Knowledge of the basic beliefs and practices of this beautiful religion is even lower. I’m not an expert on Islam but I have read a little bit about it. The more we know about the faith of our Muslim sisters and brothers the less fearful we will be when it comes to learning how to live in community. I’m certain that you’ll find we have much more in common with Muslims than many imagine possible.
Here are three books that I highly recommend:
Huston Smith’s book, Islam: A Concise Introduction, is a great primer for anyone wanting to learn the basics without getting buried in a long and rigorous book. Many of you may recall that Smith, most recently the Visiting Professor of Religious Studies at the University of California, spoke at Country Club Christian Church several years ago. This book is a rich and inviting look at the basic history and tenets of Islam. Smith has long been recognized as one of the world’s leading scholars of world religions.
Allah: A Christian Response, by Miroslav Volf, is a scholarly yet approachable book for Christians on how to interact theologically with Islam. Volf, who spoke at our church back in 2011, presents a highly readable volume inviting Christians to begin with love toward Muslims as the primary way to engage in dialogue. He demonstrates that there is a great deal of similarity between Christians and Muslims when it come to the object of our worship. I believe this book is perfect for any who want to approach Islam from a Christian perspective, one that is based on respect and admiration.
For those of you wishing to dive deeply into Islamic history and thought Hans Küng’s masterful Islam: Past, Present and Future will give you an in-depth look into the 1,400-year history of Islam. This book’s 1,000 pages may seem daunting but Kung’s willingness to continually wrestle with history and current understandings make this one of the best books one can read on this topic.
You may order these books from our bookstore, The Well. If you do read one or more of these please let me know. I’d love to host a discussion group on any or all of these excellent tomes.
Grace and peace to you,
