Islamochristiana n° 44 : en mémoire de Maurice Borrmans

Issue number 44 of Islamochristiana is entirely dedicated to Maurice Borrmans, MAfr, who, together with the PISAI staff, founded the journal in 1975 and remained its editor almost interruptedly until 2004, and with which he collaborated until the end of his life in 2017. Contributions, requested from friends, former students and collaborators, did not necessarily have to concern his writings or his academic life, but rather had to be dedicated to his particular interests in the field of Islamic studies. The result is a substantial and very interesting issue. The first three articles directly concern Father Borrmans: Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald, his confrere, traces a brief biographical profile, with particular attention to his intellectual and academic path, which completes the In Memoriam appeared in Islamochristiana 43/2017 by André Ferré, MAfr; Giampiero Alberti, a priest of the Diocese of Milan, presents a moving testimony of his friend Maurice; Vincent Feroldi, Director of the ‘Service national pour les relations avec les musulmans de la Conférence des évêques de France’, reflects on Fr Borrmans’ passion for dialogue with Muslims.
The study of the Qur’ān is one of the specific interests of Father Maurice, so the articles by Geneviève Gobillot, Paolo Branca, Michel Lagarde and Bartolomeo Pirone are focused on different aspects of its study and on the problem of its translation. Giuseppe Rizzardi reflects on the figure of Jesus in Islam and Christianity.
Some other contributions concern kalām, falsafa, Islamic studies and the relations between Christians and Muslims. Michel Younès questions the relationship between the Qur’ān and kalām on the one hand, and between the Bible and Christian theology on the other; Diego Sarrió Cucarella presents a treatise of Ḥunayn b. Isḥāq, Nestorian author of the ninth century, concerning the criteria by which to identify the true religion, while Emmanuel Pisanireports on the fierce criticism of Abū Ḥāmid al-Ġazālī against the bāṭinī missionaries; finally, Cristina D’Ancona reflects on the cosmological argument that necessarily postulates a divine cause, examining it in kalām and falsafa up to St Thomas Aquinas.
Family law, one of the beloved topics of Fr Borrmans from the beginning, was the subject of his doctoral thesis and the subject of his teachings: this is why Roberta Aluffi Beck-Peccozdedicates a study to the interesting topic of kafāla in the field of Islamic law.
As Fr Borrmans was passionate about the Muslim world and Islamic-Christian relations, Laurent Basanese presents a critical overview of recent reforms in Islam, while Emil Antonexamines the thought of Pope Benedict XVI about the connection between religion and violence.
The series of contributions closes with the articles by Rémi Caucanas who remembers Étienne Renaud, former General of the White Fathers and Rector of PISAI and friend and confrere of Fr Borrmans; and with Alan Godlas and Jason Welle, who take up a small note appearing in the Encyclical Laudato Si’ of Pope Francis about ‘Alī al-Ḫawwāṣ (see Islamochristiana 43/2017).
A rich series of Book reviews and a relevant collection of Notes and Documents complete the volume.

Established in 1975
Published once yearly
Ca. 400 pp.
Director Valentino COTTINI
Editor PISAI

إنّ العدد 44 من « دراسات مسيحية إسلامية » Islamochristiana مخصّص بأكمله للأب موريس بورمانز المنتمي إلى جمعية الإرساليات الإفريقية (الآباء البيض)، الذي أسّس المجلّة في العام 1975 بمساعدة طاقم العمل في  المعهد البابوي للدراسات العربية والإسلاميّة، وتولّى إداراتها حتّى العام 2004 وبقي مساهماً شغوفًا يكتب فيها حتى نهاية حياته، في العام 2017. لم يُفترض بالأعمال المنشورة التي طُلبت من الأصدقاء ومن الطلاب السابقين والمتعاونين، أن تتمحور بالضرورة حول كتاباته أو نشاطه التعليمي، بل أن تركّز على جوانب معيّنة من اهتماماته الأكاديمية. وكانت الحصيلة عدداً هائلاً ومبهراً للغاية.