This book analyzes Christian presentations of Christ for Muslims in the most creative period of Christian-Muslim dialogue, the first half of the ninth and the second half of the twentieth century. In these two historical moments, Christians made a serious effort to present their faith in Christ in terms that take into account Muslim perceptions of him, with a view to bridging the gap between Muslim and Christian convictions produced by Muslim rejection of Christ's divine sonship and the death of Christ by crucifixion. A comparative study is made of the contributions of three apologists from the early ninth century--Abu Qurra, Abu Ra'ita, and 'Ammar al-Basri--and three twentieth-century apologists--Kenneth Cragg, John Hick and Hans Kung--in order to seek a model for dialogue on Christology between Christians and Muslims in the twenty-first century. ""This outstanding study provides invaluable resources for addressing some of the most crucial areas of Muslim-Christian dialogue today. There is so much to be learned from these giants of the distant and the more recent past."" Colin Chapman, former Lecturer at the Near East School of Theology, Beirut, Lebanon ""Mark Beaumont provides keys from the past to help Christians address challenges in the future. His original exploration of Christological approaches to Islam from the ninth and twentieth centuries offers guidance to those engaged in peacefully reaching out to Muslims in the present day. This is particularly important at a time of increasing tension between the West and Islam."" Peter Riddell, Professor of Islamic Studies and Director, Centre of Islamic Studies and Muslim-Christian Relations, London School of Theology, London, UK Mark Beaumont, after five years as a Baptist minister in Scotland and ten years as an English teacher in Morocco, has for the last eleven years been Director of Mission Studies at Birmingham Christian College. He has five grown children and is married to Kyoko.
