Pursuing Veritas

Ayoub, Mahmoud. 2007. A Muslim View of Christianity: Essays on Dialogue. Edited by Irfan A. Omar. Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books. Beaumont, Mark Ivor. 2005. “Early Christian Interpretation of the Qur’an.” Transformation 22, 4: 195-203. Begzos, Marios P. 2010. “Inter-Religious Dialogue in Byzantine Thought: The Philosophical and Theological Contribution of John of Damascus.” Greek Orthodox Theological…

John of Damascus’ writings on Islam provide a foundational perspective for understanding early Christian views of Islam as a heresy. His commitment to accurate representation, deep engagement with Islamic texts, fair argumentation, and theological framing offers valuable insights for contemporary Christian-Muslim dialogue. While his approach requires adaptation to address the complexities of modern interfaith engagement,…

While John’s approach provides a robust framework for engaging with Islam, contemporary Christian-Muslim dialogue must also address areas where his methods are outdated or problematic. In the first place, modern conversations should avoid the eschatological interpretations present in John’s work and in many other Christian treatments of Islam over the centuries. John’s view of Islam…

John of Damascus’s approach to Islam provides a useful starting point for contemporary Christian-Muslim dialogue. His commitment to accurate representation, deep engagement with Islamic texts, intellectually honest argumentation, and the theological framing of Islam as a heresy can guide modern interactions between these two faiths. John wrote about Islam after extended engagement with Muslims, Islamic…

Of course, John’s commitments to theological accuracy, Qur’anic accuracy, and intellectual integrity did not prevent him from discerning Islam’s status as heresy. For John, Islam’s core doctrines represented a departure from true Christian teaching. He viewed Islam existing within the same basic religious framework, though as an alternative to Christian orthodoxy, a competitor to the…

Finally, John’s approach to arguing against Islam reflects a commitment to fairness and intellectual integrity. John displays rhetorical accuracy when engaging legitimate theological questions raised by Islam, as he avoids misrepresenting Islamic beliefs and even offers critiques of Islam that Christian faith could also fairly address, holding each worldview to the same standards of proof…