Do We Worship the Same God?: Jews, Christians, and Muslims in Dialogue

by Miroslav Volf (Editor)

Overview

Often the differences between the three Abrahamic religions -- Judaism, Christianity, and Islam -- seem more obvious than their commonalities, leading to the question "Do we worship the same God?" Can the answer be "yes" without denying our differences?
This volume brings Jewish, Christian, and Muslim philosophers and theologians together to answer this question, offering rare insight into how representatives of each religion view the other monotheistic faiths. Each of their contributions uniquely approaches the primary question from a philosophical perspective that is informed by the practice of worship and prayer. Concepts covered include "sameness" and "oneness," the nature of God, epistemology, and the Trinity. Do We Worship the Same God? models serious-minded, honest, and respectful interreligious dialogue and gives us new ways to address an ongoing question.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467436571
Publisher:	Eerdmans, William B. Publishing Company
Publication date:	11/09/2012
Sold by:	Bookwire
Format:	eBook
Pages:	176
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Miroslav Volf is director of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture and the Henry B. Wright Professor of Theology at Yale Divinity School. His other books include  Exclusion and Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation.

Table of Contents

Introduction vii

The Same God? The Perspective of Faith, the Identity of God, Tolerance, and Dialogue Christoph Schwöbel 1

Christians, Muslims, and the Name of God: Who Owns It, and How Would We Know? Denys Turner 18

The Same God? Amy Plantinga Pauw 37

God Between Christians and Jews: Is It the Same God? Alon Goshen-Gottstein 50

Do Muslims and Christians Believe in the Same God? Reza Shah-Kazemi 76

Do We Worship the Same God? Peter Ochs 148

Contributors 166

Editorial Reviews

John Kaltner
— Rhodes College
"Throughout their shared history Jews, Christians, and Muslims have asked the question posed in the title of this book, sometimes responding in the affirmative and sometimes in the negative. Too often, the means by which they have arrived at their answers have been left unstated or marred by a lack of clarity and rigor. This book is a welcome corrective to that tendency."

Lamin Sanneh
— Yale University
"The history of Christian-Muslim relations is over a thousand years old, marked by a sustained quest for interfaith understanding. . . . Do We Worship the Same God? explores the theological aspect of the interfaith issue with insight and candor, underscoring the challenges as well as the opportunities for engagement. A welcome contribution to current discussion of the subject."

Rick Love
— President, Peace Catalyst International
"Do We Worship the Same God? invites us to love the one true God with all our mind. These essays challenge us to think carefully about deeply held convictions. I joyfully welcome this important multifaith work on monotheism as a valuable companion to Miroslav's excellent book Allah: A Christian Response."

Gavin D'Costa
— University of Bristol
"Do we worship the same God? This is such an important question today. These groundbreaking high-quality essays from Christians, Jews, and a Muslim open important doors onto new paths."

Paul F. Knitter
— Union Theological Seminary
"None of the contributors to this collection gives a clear, simple answer to the question that perplexes them all. And that's what makes this conversation so engaging and enlightening. Each of the authors responds with a 'yes but no' or a 'no but yes.' Together, they draw on tradition, philosophy, scriptural analysis, and — especially — mysticism to affirm both the depth and the diversity of faiths that call themselves monotheistic."

Charles Amjad-Ali
— Luther Seminary
"This extremely noteworthy book deals with a very critical and thorny issue, which is most often avoided. Highly academic and intellectually stimulating, this is also one of the most hopeful texts I have read on this subject. It is of critical significance for anyone involved in theologies of religion, especially within the 'monotheistic' or 'Abrahamic' tradition. . . . Imperative for anybody who is involved in interfaith dialogue."

Journal of the American Academy of Religion 
“This book is a welcome addition to conversation between and about Jews, Christians, and Muslims. . . . The book is written from insider viewpoints—Muslim, Christian, Jewish—and from various theological perspectives. . . . I recommend this volume. It will be useful for a variety of courses in the study of contemporary religion for undergraduate, seminary, and graduate school students.”
 
Presbyterian Outlook 
“This book deserves a wide reading. . . . It can help further a different conversation that is critical for our future.”

Reviews in Religion and Theology
“Though this book does not offer a final word to this most important of questions, it does offer a variety of substantial first words. The optimistic approach each of the authors adopts, suggests that we can take hope in our ability for civil engagement, tolerance, and the possibility to live together in peace in the twenty-first century.”
 
Church Times 
“This short book should be on the reading list of all seminarians and theological students. It indicates how serious engagement with Judaism and Islam can revitalize theology. . . . Its hallmarks are wisdom, candour, and intellectual rigour.”
 
Critique 
“Probably few of us are called to join the scholarly conversation, but we must do what we can in the ordinary faithfulness of our lives. Volf’s book can help sharpen our thinking.”
 
Interpretation 
“Models serious-minded, honest, and respectful interreligious dialogue and gives us new ways to address an ongoing question.”
 
Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations 
“The high academic level of the contributions is undeniable, and the book gives a reader interested in the sameness or oneness of God in the three monotheistic religions—and in interfaith issues in general—several lines of thought to follow.

From the Publisher