Foundations for Muslim-Christian Dialogue and Peacemaking: Ideas about God, Faith, and Prayer

Authors

Jon Armajani, College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University

Abstract

In this essay, I discuss God, faith, and sacred texts (including the Bible, Quran, and Hadith), and some ways that they constitute foundations for peacemaking between Christians and Muslims. The essay presents my personal, ethnic, and religious background in order to contextualize the ideas which the essay analyzes, and then describes three Christian theological approaches to non-Christian religions. Those approaches are particularist (or exclusivist), inclusivist, and pluralist. The essay discusses the historical background and significance of Vatican II, which took place between 1962 and 1965, and Nostra Aetate, published in 1965. The essay then analyzes three theological principles which undergird Nostra Aetate, and that document’s description of Islam. The essay reflects on God, faith, and prayer in Christianity and Islam, concluding with some observations about the possibilities for peace between Christians and Muslims.

Recommended Citation

Armajani, Jon (2019) "Foundations for Muslim-Christian Dialogue and Peacemaking: Ideas about God, Faith, and Prayer," The Journal of Social Encounters: Vol. 3: Iss. 1, 6-12.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/social_encounters/vol3/iss1/3