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Sacred Misinterpretation: Reaching across the Christian-Muslim Divide
Promotes gracious interfaith dialogue on sensitive theological issues Theological issues are crucial to how Christians and Muslims understand and perceive each other. In Sacred Misinterpretation Martin Accad guides readers through key theological questions that fuel conflict and misunderstanding between Muslims and Christians. A sure-footed guide, he weaves personal stories together with deep discussion of theological beliefs. Accad identifies trends, recognizes historical realities, and brings to light significant points of contention that often lead to break-down in Christian-Muslim dialogue. He also outlines positive and creative trends that could lead to a more hopeful future. Fairly and seriously presenting both Muslim theology and a Muslim interpretation of Christian theology, Sacred Misinterpretation is an essential guide for fostering dialogue and understanding among readers from both faiths.
396 pages, Paperback
Published June 6, 2019
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June 22, 2019
There is much that Christians and Muslims share in common. We claim a common inheritance from Abraham. We both venerate in some form or another Jesus. At the same time, there is much that separates us. Part of what separates us from one another is the differing understandings of who Jesus is. Christians have, traditionally, affirmed the divinity of Christ in a Trinitarian understanding of God. Muslims understand Jesus to be one of the great prophets, but they reject both the Trinity and the divinity of Christ. The story of Christian-Muslim relations is a complicated one, which includes the crusades, colonialism, and the conquest of formerly Christian lands by Muslim forces. Both sides have killed each other in the name of God. There is, also, the question of the role of Muhammad. So, how do we bridge the divide?
Martin Accad attempts to address many of the questions that have been raised over the years, including biblical interpretation and interpretation of the Quran. He is the Associate professor of Islamic Studies at the Arab Baptist Seminary in Beirut, Lebanon (his home country), and directs the Institute of Middle Eastern Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary (my alma mater). He approaches this task from the perspective of an evangelical. He holds out the hope that Muslims will come to know Jesus as savior, but in pursuit of that goal he wants to make sure that he truly understands Islam, presents its beliefs practices honestly, and show respect to Muslims, the Quran, and to the Muhammad. He writes this book for Christians, having seen evangelicals represent Islam unfairly, highlighting the negative without giving due attention to the positive elements. Many of these presentations have taken a polemical or apologetic approach, but such is not the case here. What he wishes to do is try to understand Islam on its own terms and present Islam in those terms to Christians. The approach he takes, according to Accad is a kerygmatic one. This invites theological engagement and involves witness to the good news of Jesus. In other words, he doesn't shy away from sharing his beliefs in Jesus but does so believing that the Quran and Islamic tradition provide a bridge to faith in Jesus. That will involve, of course, navigating differences of interpretation of each other's faith positions.
Accad's book contains ten chapters, with chapter one being an introduction. This chapter introduces us to Christian-Muslim interaction (including his own engagement growing up among Muslims in Lebanon. From the introduction to the relationship and the religions, Accad moves to hermeneutics. This is an important chapter because of the differing ways the two religions approach their own texts and that of the other. Again, this leads to misinterpretation. With that in mind, and knowing he is writing to Christians, he introduces us to legitimate forms of interpretation. He also reminds us that to Muslims, there is a belief in the continuity of the three Abrahamic traditions. Muslims see themselves as heirs of the Judeo-Christian tradition, even as Christians see themselves as heirs of Judaism. This leads, of course, to a bit of supersessionism on the part of Islam, and the questions among Muslims as to why Christians won't receive their witness.
In chapter three he addresses the question of who God is according to both faith traditions. How might Islam's embrace of an absolute form of monotheism engage with Christian understandings? Where does Jesus fit? The Quranic vision of Jesus differs in significant ways from the New Testament. Chapters four and five focus on Jesus. The first of the two chapters explore the negative perspective. What does Islam say about Jesus that is different from that of Christianity? Standing at the center is Christ's divinity, but also the Muslim view of the cross (Muslims do not believe that Jesus was crucified). Then after laying out the negative, he invites us to consider who Jesus is in Islam. What do the Quran and Islam say about Jesus? Accad responds to these views, which focus on Jesus being a venerated prophet, and Christian soteriology.
From jesus, he turns in chapter six to the Islamic interpretation of the Bible. One of the issues at hand is the idea of tahrif, that is the charge that Christians and Jews have corrupted the text of their Scriptures, and thus the bad theology inherent in both traditions is a result of that corruption. At the same time, especially early on the Gospels and Torah were understood to be authoritative documents. The issue of tahrif really became significant in the medieval period and moving into the present. Accad lays out how Muslims have understood the Bible, with a chapter devoted to the development of Tahrif, which he believes emerged over time and makes it more difficult today to have a conversation about the Bible. Chapter 8, invites us to consider Islam's "Muhammado-Centric reading of the Bible." Think here of how Christians have read the Bible Christocentrically. Muslims do the same, using Muhammad as a lens and assuming he is the heir to these earlier positions (only it is now complete).
Chapter 9 is fascinating because Accad introduces us to the belief among many Muslims that Muhammad is the promised Paraclete of John's gospel. It's a view that emerges over time, at least in its fullness. There is a debate within Islam as to the meaning of the words and its application. But, it is intriguing to think of Muhammad as the one who teaches again all that Jesus taught.
Accad brings the book to a close with some proposals for building the bridges. Among the insights, he shares concern the two stages of Muhammad's life, and how these two stages give clarity to the different emphases within Islam. There is the Meccan period, in which Muhammad focuses on the spiritual. We see this emphasis present in "moderate Islam." When we think of Islam as a religion of peace, we can trace this to the Meccan period of spiritual awakening. Then there is the Medinan period, in which Muhammad and his followers take up a more militant stance. The more militant forms of Islam tend to emphasize the parts of the Quran that suggest militancy and violence in the defense and advancement of the faith. Thus, in pursuit of dialog, he tries to make a case for Meccan Islam. In this chapter, he also addresses the status of Muhammad for Christians. In what way might Christians affirm the role that Muhammad plays, perhaps as a precursor to Christ through his challenge to the polytheism of the Arab tribes.
At times I got lost in the breadth of interpreters and interpretations, but that is simply a reflection of the complexity that is Islam. This is not a monolithic faith, any more than Christianity is. There have been developments over time, some positive, some negative. That adds to the complexity. Recognizing that complexity, as Accad introduces it to us, makes for a better dialog. In other words, both Sufis and Salafis are legitimate interpreters of Islam. The former however might be more likely to engage in dialog than Salafis (conservative militant forms of Islam).
This is a scholarly book. It's not an easy read. It's lengthy and it covers a lot of ground. I am not an expert in Islam, but I've been a significant exposure to Islam and I have advanced theological training. Even so, this was not an easy read for me. As a historian myself, I appreciated the fact that he took a historical approach to the questions of theology and interpretation of sacred texts. I was intrigued at points by how Islamic interpretation of Scripture, of Jesus, and of Christianity changed over time. Unfortunately, it seems that it became more negative as time passed. We also learn that too often Christians read the Quran as we read Scripture, while Muslims read Scripture like the Quran. This leads to misinterpretations on both sides because we both approach texts differently.
Having read the book I am more informed and better equipped for the coming dialogues. For that, I give thanks to the author and to the publisher. As Gabriel Said Reynolds writes in his foreword, "Accad's book offers a serious and clear analysis of the theological issues in Muslim-Christian relations in a style that is free from polemics, but also free from truisms" (p. xix). Indeed!
Martin Accad attempts to address many of the questions that have been raised over the years, including biblical interpretation and interpretation of the Quran. He is the Associate professor of Islamic Studies at the Arab Baptist Seminary in Beirut, Lebanon (his home country), and directs the Institute of Middle Eastern Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary (my alma mater). He approaches this task from the perspective of an evangelical. He holds out the hope that Muslims will come to know Jesus as savior, but in pursuit of that goal he wants to make sure that he truly understands Islam, presents its beliefs practices honestly, and show respect to Muslims, the Quran, and to the Muhammad. He writes this book for Christians, having seen evangelicals represent Islam unfairly, highlighting the negative without giving due attention to the positive elements. Many of these presentations have taken a polemical or apologetic approach, but such is not the case here. What he wishes to do is try to understand Islam on its own terms and present Islam in those terms to Christians. The approach he takes, according to Accad is a kerygmatic one. This invites theological engagement and involves witness to the good news of Jesus. In other words, he doesn't shy away from sharing his beliefs in Jesus but does so believing that the Quran and Islamic tradition provide a bridge to faith in Jesus. That will involve, of course, navigating differences of interpretation of each other's faith positions.
Accad's book contains ten chapters, with chapter one being an introduction. This chapter introduces us to Christian-Muslim interaction (including his own engagement growing up among Muslims in Lebanon. From the introduction to the relationship and the religions, Accad moves to hermeneutics. This is an important chapter because of the differing ways the two religions approach their own texts and that of the other. Again, this leads to misinterpretation. With that in mind, and knowing he is writing to Christians, he introduces us to legitimate forms of interpretation. He also reminds us that to Muslims, there is a belief in the continuity of the three Abrahamic traditions. Muslims see themselves as heirs of the Judeo-Christian tradition, even as Christians see themselves as heirs of Judaism. This leads, of course, to a bit of supersessionism on the part of Islam, and the questions among Muslims as to why Christians won't receive their witness.
In chapter three he addresses the question of who God is according to both faith traditions. How might Islam's embrace of an absolute form of monotheism engage with Christian understandings? Where does Jesus fit? The Quranic vision of Jesus differs in significant ways from the New Testament. Chapters four and five focus on Jesus. The first of the two chapters explore the negative perspective. What does Islam say about Jesus that is different from that of Christianity? Standing at the center is Christ's divinity, but also the Muslim view of the cross (Muslims do not believe that Jesus was crucified). Then after laying out the negative, he invites us to consider who Jesus is in Islam. What do the Quran and Islam say about Jesus? Accad responds to these views, which focus on Jesus being a venerated prophet, and Christian soteriology.
From jesus, he turns in chapter six to the Islamic interpretation of the Bible. One of the issues at hand is the idea of tahrif, that is the charge that Christians and Jews have corrupted the text of their Scriptures, and thus the bad theology inherent in both traditions is a result of that corruption. At the same time, especially early on the Gospels and Torah were understood to be authoritative documents. The issue of tahrif really became significant in the medieval period and moving into the present. Accad lays out how Muslims have understood the Bible, with a chapter devoted to the development of Tahrif, which he believes emerged over time and makes it more difficult today to have a conversation about the Bible. Chapter 8, invites us to consider Islam's "Muhammado-Centric reading of the Bible." Think here of how Christians have read the Bible Christocentrically. Muslims do the same, using Muhammad as a lens and assuming he is the heir to these earlier positions (only it is now complete).
Chapter 9 is fascinating because Accad introduces us to the belief among many Muslims that Muhammad is the promised Paraclete of John's gospel. It's a view that emerges over time, at least in its fullness. There is a debate within Islam as to the meaning of the words and its application. But, it is intriguing to think of Muhammad as the one who teaches again all that Jesus taught.
Accad brings the book to a close with some proposals for building the bridges. Among the insights, he shares concern the two stages of Muhammad's life, and how these two stages give clarity to the different emphases within Islam. There is the Meccan period, in which Muhammad focuses on the spiritual. We see this emphasis present in "moderate Islam." When we think of Islam as a religion of peace, we can trace this to the Meccan period of spiritual awakening. Then there is the Medinan period, in which Muhammad and his followers take up a more militant stance. The more militant forms of Islam tend to emphasize the parts of the Quran that suggest militancy and violence in the defense and advancement of the faith. Thus, in pursuit of dialog, he tries to make a case for Meccan Islam. In this chapter, he also addresses the status of Muhammad for Christians. In what way might Christians affirm the role that Muhammad plays, perhaps as a precursor to Christ through his challenge to the polytheism of the Arab tribes.
At times I got lost in the breadth of interpreters and interpretations, but that is simply a reflection of the complexity that is Islam. This is not a monolithic faith, any more than Christianity is. There have been developments over time, some positive, some negative. That adds to the complexity. Recognizing that complexity, as Accad introduces it to us, makes for a better dialog. In other words, both Sufis and Salafis are legitimate interpreters of Islam. The former however might be more likely to engage in dialog than Salafis (conservative militant forms of Islam).
This is a scholarly book. It's not an easy read. It's lengthy and it covers a lot of ground. I am not an expert in Islam, but I've been a significant exposure to Islam and I have advanced theological training. Even so, this was not an easy read for me. As a historian myself, I appreciated the fact that he took a historical approach to the questions of theology and interpretation of sacred texts. I was intrigued at points by how Islamic interpretation of Scripture, of Jesus, and of Christianity changed over time. Unfortunately, it seems that it became more negative as time passed. We also learn that too often Christians read the Quran as we read Scripture, while Muslims read Scripture like the Quran. This leads to misinterpretations on both sides because we both approach texts differently.
Having read the book I am more informed and better equipped for the coming dialogues. For that, I give thanks to the author and to the publisher. As Gabriel Said Reynolds writes in his foreword, "Accad's book offers a serious and clear analysis of the theological issues in Muslim-Christian relations in a style that is free from polemics, but also free from truisms" (p. xix). Indeed!
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