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Muslims and Christians Face to Face
KATE ZEBIRI, 1997
Oxford, Oneworld
x+ 258 pp., pb. $22.95, ISBN 1 85168 133 7
The major theme that Kate Zebiri takes for investigation and elaboration in this book is that Muslim-Christian relations in the contemporary period are characterized largely by discord, conflict and mutually exclusive claims to universality and finality. Although she presents 'dialogue' as an increasingly important element in current MuslimChristian encounters, she concludes with the rather pessimistic note that the differences between the two faiths-and their adherents-are seen as essential rather than secondary, including primary areas such as the view of God, the view of humankind, and religion and the state.
She begins in chapter one with identifying factors influencing Muslim-Christian relations such as the qur'anic paradigm-particularly what it says about Jesus and Christians; the historical legacy and impact of events such as the Crusades on attitudes and current relations between the two communities; the role of...