Publisher : Ferdinand Schöningh - Paderborn

German

2018
208

The Challenge of Islam. Christian Approaches

Does Islam belong to Europe? How should the West relate to Islam? Not only the West, but also Christian theology has difficulties with Islam. It wavers between a purely religious view from the outside and a justifying defensive attitude that basically only wants to prove the superiority of its own faith.
Both alternatives are mistaken. Christian theology is rather called upon to honestly find out whether and under what conditions it can appreciate the Muslim faith without betraying its own truths. How and under what circumstances, for example, can the recitation of the Koran also be understood as the Word of God from a Christian perspective, and can Christians also see in Muhammad a human being who walks in the footsteps of the prophets?
This book aims to do just that: a Christian appreciation of Islam that is able to discover the value of the differences between the two religions. In this way, it wants to invite us to an encounter with Islam that is not only about understanding, but also about love – an encounter that helps us to rediscover ourselves in the other and to understand ourselves more deeply.

L’islam fait-il partie de l’Europe ? Comment l’Occident doit-il se comporter vis-à-vis de l’islam ? L’Occident n’est pas le seul à avoir du mal avec l’islam, la théologie chrétienne aussi. Elle hésite entre un regard extérieur purement religieux et une attitude défensive qui se justifie et qui ne vise au fond qu’à prouver la supériorité de sa propre foi.
Ces deux alternatives sont erronées. La théologie chrétienne est plutôt appelée à découvrir honnêtement si et dans quelles conditions elle peut apprécier la foi musulmane sans trahir ses propres vérités. Comment et dans quelles conditions, par exemple, la récitation du Coran peut-elle être comprise comme parole de Dieu, même d’un point de vue chrétien, et les chrétiens peuvent-ils eux aussi voir en Mohammed un homme qui marche sur les traces des prophètes ?
C’est précisément ce que veut faire le présent ouvrage : une appréciation chrétienne de l’islam qui permet justement de découvrir la valeur des différences entre les deux religions. Il veut ainsi inviter à une rencontre avec l’islam qui ne vise pas seulement la compréhension, mais aussi l’amour – une rencontre qui nous aide à nous redécouvrir dans l’autre et à le comprendre plus profondément.

تحدّي الإسلام: المقاربات المسيحية
هل ينتمي الإسلام إلى أوروبا؟ كيف يمكن للغرب أن يتواصل مع الإسلام؟ لا يواجه الغرب وحده صعوبات مع الإسلام إنّما الأمر نفسه ينطبق على اللاهوت المسيحي. ذلك أنّه يتأرجحُ بين وجهة نظرٍ خارجية دينية محضة وموقفٍ دفاعيّ مُبرِّر لا يسعى إلاّ إلى إثبات تفوّق إيمانه.

إلّا أنّ هذين الطرحين مغلوطان. ففي الواقعِ، يجدُ اللاهوت المسيحي نفسه مدعواً بصدقٍ إلى اكتشاف ما إذا كان قادراً على تقدير الإيمان المسلم من دون أن يتنكّر لحقائقه الخاصّة وفي ظلّ أيّ ظروف قد يفعل ذلك. فعلى سبيل المثال، كيف يمكن لتلاوة القرآن أن تُفهمَ ككلمة الله من وجهة نظر مسيحيّة وفي ظلّ أيّ ظروف؟ هل يقدرُ المسيحيّون أن يروا في محمّد إنساناً يسير على خطى الأنبياء؟

إلّا أنّ هذين الطرحين مغلوطان. ففي الواقعِ، يجدُ اللاهوت المسيحي نفسه مدعواً بصدقٍ إلى اكتشاف ما إذا كان قادراً على تقدير الإيمان المسلم من دون أن يتنكّر لحقائقه الخاصّة وفي ظلّ أيّ ظروف قد يفعل ذلك. فعلى سبيل المثال، كيف يمكن لتلاوة القرآن أن تُفهمَ ككلمة الله من وجهة نظر مسيحيّة وفي ظلّ أيّ ظروف؟ هل يقدرُ المسيحيّون أن يروا في محمّد إنساناً يسير على خطى الأنبياء؟
يهدف هذا الكتابُ إلى تحقيق الغاية التالية فحسب: تقديرٌ مسيحيّ للإسلام قادرٌ على اكتشاف قيمة الفروقات بين الديانتَين. فيدعونا بهذه الطريقة، إلى الوصول لتلاقٍ مع الإسلام القائم ليس على التفّهم وحده إنّما أيضًا على الحب – تلاقٍ يساعدنا على إعادة اكتشاف أنفسنا في الآخر وفهمها بشكل أعمق.

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