Was Jesus a Muslim?: Questioning Categories in the Study of Religion

by Robert F. Shedinger

An intriguing question - Do Muslims understand Jesus in some ways morehistorically appropriate than Christians do? - leads Robert F. Shedingerinto a series of provocative challenges to the disciplines ofreligious studies and comparative religions. Questioning theconvenient distinction between "politics" and "religion" and theisolation of "religion" from wider social and cultural questions,Shedinger offers a proposal for a more accurate and respectfulunderstanding of faith that he argues will improve possibilities formutual understanding among Christians, Muslims - and others.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Islam

192 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2009

Reviews

[Bilal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book to anyone who identifies as having moral upbringing from Christian or Muslim views; the book does very well challenging the concept of religion and how the utilization of it can be detrimental to tackling systems of injustice in society. If you’re looking for a comprehensive in-depth argument about Jesus being a Muslim then I have to tell you, you’ll be disappointed (he addresses it, but not as the focus of argument). Although the title can be kind of misleading, Shedinger does an awesome job of analyzing historical and contemporary domestication of religion and how secular systems benefit the most from identifying it as a separate entity (separation of church and state, the concept that religion is not political or economic etc etc). As well as how we should rethink our secular cultural background (primarily as a born and raised citizen of the west) and how, what he calls, metareligious dialogue can promote positive outcomes instead of leading to a clash of civilizations. I’m not saying that Shedinger’s approach is absolute and should be implemented in every society, I’m sure there are critiques to be held about this opinion about various social issues, but I believe the promotion of thinking differently and challenging traditional views is always a net positive and leads people to be more analytical and critical overall.

[Gautam · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was well written and very thought provoking. I like to read fiction, in general, and only read this for a school course on Islam.

[Deyana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for a collegiate religion course and I really enjoyed this book. It brings up several points that I am certainly not knowledgable enough to recount, but it transformed my worldview.

[Mohamed Dadda]

nice book

[Kristian Petersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Islam isn’t a religion – it is a way of life.” I have heard both Muslims and non-Muslims express this sentiment. For believers this statement is meant to demonstrate how comprehensive God’s message is, covering not only the so-called spiritual aspects of life but also the seemingly secular components too. For polemicist denying Islam the status of being a religion serves to contribute to their agenda of challenging Muslim rights in western society. How should Islam be understood? And for that matter, what exactly is religion and how should we define it? Should we consider Islam a religion? Robert F. Shedinger, Professor of Religion at Luther College, addresses these questions in Was Jesus a Muslim?: Questioning Categories in the Study of Religion (Fortress Press, 2009). In this fascinating study Shedinger brings a broad spectrum of literature into dialogue to probe what we mean by religion, how Islam fits into that category, and how dialogue can exist between Muslims and non-Muslims based on these definitions. He outlines the problems with Comparative Religions, Interreligious Dialogue, and several other analytical categories more generally. Overall, he challenges us to rethinking how we conceive of the terms we use and their practical implications within real world circumstances. In our interview we explore the question if Islam is not a religion then what is it? Then with our new working meaning we ask was Jesus a Muslim? Take a listen and find out.
http://newbooksinreligion.com/2012/05...

[Yusuf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amazing so far, you should start reading!