Jesus through Muslim Eyes

Dr Shumack explores Muslim belief in Jesus.

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The discussion landscape between Christians and Muslims is constantly changing and developing. Increasingly subtle and sophisticated Muslim positions on Jesus emerge regularly. The latest Muslim thinker to rise to prominence in the wider public arena is Mustafa Akyol. His ideas about Jesus, while largely derivative, are crafted into novel and appealing arguments. To date, there has been no satisfactory Christian engagement with his ideas. Written by a specialist in Muslim thought, Jesus through Muslim Eyes offers a unique apologetic that combines history, theology and critical thinking in a way that cuts across both traditional and contemporary debates.

“With Christians, we (Muslims) agree that Jesus was born of a virgin, that he was the Messiah, and that he is the Word of God. Surely, we do not worship Jesus, like Christians do. Yet still, we can follow him. In fact, given our grim malaise and his shining wisdom, we need to follow him.” – Mustafa Akyol (The Islamic Jesus, St Martin’s Press)

Can Muslims, like Akyol, meaningfully claim Jesus as the Messiah and the Word of God? And how can Christians respond to such claims?

Richard Schumach considers what Muslims believe about Jesus; what history can tell us about Jesus; where Muslims (and Christians) get their beliefs from; and why Jesus makes sense in Christianity, but not in Islam.