Pilgrims of Christ on the Muslim Road

Today's tensions between the "e;Islamic"e; East and "e;Christian"e; West run high. Here Paul-Gordon Chandler presents fresh thinking in the area of Christian-Muslim relations, showing how Christ-whom Islam reveres as a Prophet and Christianity worships as the divine Messiah-can close the gap between the two religions. Historically, Christians have taken a confrontational or missionary approach toward Islam, leading many Muslims to identify Christianity with the cultural prejudices and hegemonic ambitions of Westerners. On the individual level, Christ-followers within Islam have traditionally been encouraged by Christians to break away from their Muslim communities. Chandler boldly explores how these two major religions-which share much common heritage-can not only co-exist, but also enrich each other. He illustrates his perspective with examples from the life of Syrian novelist Mazhar Mallouhi, widely read in the Middle East. Mallouhi, a self-identified "e;Sufi Muslim follower of Christ,"e; seeks to bridge the chasm of misunderstanding between Muslims and Christians through his novels.