Islam's Jesus

Zeki Saritoprak

• Publisher: University Press of Florida
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9780813061788, 9780813049403
• eBook ISBN: 9780813065687
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Islamic Theology

“Accessible and readable. Spotlights an important theological theme in a way that both illuminates its internal development in Islamic thought and presents it as a helpful basis for interreligious discussion. The topic is very much in need of teaching and discussion and is a fine example of ‘common ground.’”—John Renard, author of Islam and Christianity

 

“Contains valuable and fascinating material about how classical Muslim theologians treated various aspects of Jesus and, in particular, the role of Jesus in Islamic eschatology.  Saritoprak brings new insights from contemporary Turkish thinkers to bear on the issues raised by the Jesus figure in Islamic narratives about the Last Days.”—Marcia Hermansen, author of Shah Wali Allah’s Treatises on Islamic Law

 

“A refreshingly easy read that makes a complex world of theology and interfaith relations accessible and enjoyable for readers of all backgrounds.”—Jonathan Brown, author of Hadith: Muhammad’s Legacy in the Medieval and Modern World

 

 

Few people realize that Jesus was a prominent messenger of God in Islam and that Muslims believe in the return of Jesus. Even among Muslims, it is not well known that there are diverse interpretations of references to Jesus in the Qur’an and the Hadith. Aiming to remedy this, Islam’s Jesus takes a bold yet candid look at the highly charged topic of Jesus’s place in Islam, exploring some of the religion’s least understood aspects.

           
Examining multiple intellectual traditions, Zeki Saritoprak makes clear the reality of pluralism in the history of Islamic religious scholarship. Actively engaged in efforts to promote interfaith dialogue and harmony, Saritoprak thoughtfully argues that the shared belief in Jesus presents an excellent opportunity for understanding between Muslims and Christians. Together, they constitute more than half of the world’s population, and such understanding may be a foundation for peace.

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Note on Transliteration
• Introduction
• 1. Jesus as God’s Messenger in the Qur’an
• 2. A Qur’anic Perspective on the Eschatological Role of Jesus
• 3. Islamic Eschatology and Jesus as a Sign of the Hour
• 4. The Hadith and Jesus’s Eschatological Descent
• 5. Speculations about Jesus’s Return
• 6. The Mahdi and Jesus as Allies against al-Dajjal (the Antichrist)
• 7. Literalist Approaches to Jesus’s Eschatological Role in Islamic Theology
• 8. Symbolic, Allegorical, and Other Interpretive Approaches to Jesus’s Eschatological Role
• 9. Jesus’s Descent and Theologies of Muslim-Christian Cooperation
• Conclusion
• Appendix 1. Fethullah Gülen on Jesus and Interfaith Dialogue
• Appendix 2. Excerpts from Muhammed Hamdi Yazir
• Acknowledgments
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Index