Discerning Jesus/Isa
in Christianity and Islam:   
Contrast and Counterpoint

An interfaith dialogue cosponsored by the Lehigh Dialogue Center, the Golden Generation Retreat Center and the Seminary

“Who do you say that I am?”  On Saturday, May 30, a group of about 100 Christians, Muslims, and interested persons of other faith traditions gathered in the Saal to explore the momentous question that Jesus asked his disciples. The result was a lively exchange that revealed broad similarities, sharp differences, and rich areas for further exploration between two major faith traditions.  “Discerning Jesus/ Isa in Christian and Muslim Understandings: An Interfaith Exploration“ was co-sponsored by the Seminary Office of Continuing Education, the Lehigh Dialogue Center, and the Golden Generation Retreat Center, as one of a series of conversations on topics of joint interest to Christians and Muslims. 

The discussion was framed by Dr. Walter Wagner, Lutheran pastor, MTS adjunct faculty member and author of the recent book Opening the Qur’an: Introducing Islam’s Holy Book (University of Notre Dame Press, 2008), and Fatih Harpci, a Moravian MATS student currently writing his thesis on the necessity for interfaith dialogue.  Dr. Wagner began by pointing out that Christian tradition has always entertained multiple understandings of the person and work of Jesus (the accounts of Jesus in the gospels of Mark and John are quite different in some respects, for instance, and yet the Bible has always contained them both), and that some of the perceived conflicts between Christianity and Islam on these points may actually be matters of emphasis rather than substance. 

Mr. Harpci noted that Jesus has always been revered as a prophet in Islam, and that, in fact, he occupies a distinctive place among those who have revealed God’s will to humanity. The Qur’an and authoritative Muslim tradition (hadith) refer to Jesus, variously, as Spirit from God, Word from God, and Messiah (especially in his ability to heal the sick), among other things.  He further noted that Jesus’s mother Mary occupies a place of unique honor in Islam, being the only woman mentioned by name in the Qur’an.   

The speakers frankly acknowledged that Christian and Muslim accounts of Jesus contain  significant and, likely, permanent differences, particularly around the centrality, for Christians, of his crucifixion and resurrection.  But there are also broad areas where they overlap, and  there is much room for mutual engagement and for the generation of rich new insights about who Jesus was and is. 

The event concluded with remarks by Mr. Fahrudin Mekic, Director of the Lehigh Dialogue Center, and by Dr. Steve Simmons, MTS Director of Continuing Education. Mr. Mekic conferred gifts on the presenters and the Seminary, expressing the desire (and clearly expressing a general feeling among those gathered) to continue such interfaith explorations in the future.