WE BELIEVE: Muslims & Christians in Conversation about Faith (Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen) - Review
When it comes to having fruitful
conversations with someone from a different religious tradition, it is always
helpful to have some knowledge of their beliefs before entering the
conversation. You do not need to have a full understanding of the other faith,
but having a sense of what they believe can provide a helpful starting point
for a fruitful conversation. Too often, our perspectives about the other are
based on stereotypes and misinformation. If this is true, then barriers to
fruitful communication can go up, often leading to misunderstandings that can
damage possible relationships. Of course, even when we enter conversations with
the best of intentions, attempts to engage in comparative theological work can
lack nuance. The truth is, no faith tradition is monolithic. This is especially
true of Christianity and Islam, the two largest religious traditions in the
world. In the case of these two religious traditions, faulty assumptions based
on stereotypes can lead to tragedy, not just miscommunication.
Although both Christianity and
Islam are complex traditions, it would be helpful to have a brief and
accessible guide that compares the two belief systems, showing where they agree
and where they disagree. Of course, brevity means that sometimes both
traditions can be presented in monolithic ways. Nevertheless, we still need
such resources even if they lack the kind of nuance some of us would like to
have before us. Such a resource can be found in Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen’s We
Believe: Muslims and Christians in Conversation about Faith.
Kärkkäinen is Professor of Systematic
Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary (my alma mater) and an ordained Finnish
Lutheran minister. He has devoted several of his books to comparative theology,
including his textbook Christian Theology in the Pluralistic World: A
Global Introduction. With that book as the foundation for his project, Kärkkäinen
has provided the reader with a brief introduction to Islamic beliefs. Since this
is a work of comparative theology that builds on his previous work, his purpose
here is to compare Christian and Muslim beliefs on matters of scripture, the
nature of God, Christology, science and creation, human life (theological
anthropology), sin and the fall, salvation, the Spirit, ecclesiology, and
eschatology. Since this is written with Christian readers in mind, Kärkkäinen
organizes the book around what he believes are major Christian beliefs. With
this as his foundation, he begins each chapter by first laying out mainstream
Christian beliefs, after which he examines how Muslims approach these same
topics. It is important to note here that the doctrines chosen are ones he
believes are central to the Christian faith, not (necessarily) to Islamic
theology. Then again, his intended audience is Christian, not Muslim.
The biggest challenge posed to a
book like this is nuance (or the lack of it). Kärkkäinen acknowledges the
breadth of Christian theological positions, but ultimately, he offers a fairly
basic Protestant, even evangelical, take on the chosen doctrines. As for Islam,
Kärkkäinen, who acknowledges that he is not an expert on Islam, mostly sticks
with the Qur'an and the Hadiths in presenting Muslim beliefs. I sense
that there is more diversity on these subjects than the author acknowledges,
especially among contemporary Muslims. For example, in his chapter that asks
the question: "Is There a 'Church' for Muslims?" he speaks of the
role of clergy in Christianity, while suggesting that Muslims lack clergy.
Although religious leaders in Islamic institutions may not always function the
same as Christian clergy, there are some points of contact. That is because, while
it is true that leadership of worship in mosques mainly requires memorization
of the Qur'an, at least in the United States, increasingly Imams are expected
to take on similar roles as Christian clergy. Thus, Islamic seminaries are
forming for that purpose.
While I found the lack of nuance
frustrating at points, this remains a valuable book because it can serve as a
starting point for conversation. Knowing something about how Islam formed, how
the Qur'an functions in Islam, and how Muslims perceive God is important to
avoid misunderstanding each other. As for the way the two religions understand
the nature of God, there is both similarity and difference. This is because
while both Muslims and Christians claim to be monotheists, Muslims, like Jews,
are strict monotheists, while most Christians are Trinitarian. This is a major
difference that cannot easily be overcome (I know this is true from personal
experience). Nevertheless, Kärkkäinen offers a brief but helpful discussion of
the differences of approach, as well as points of contact. As he reminds the
reader, as to whether Christians and Muslims worship the same God, since
Muslims are not trinitarians, let us not forget that Christians claim to
worship the same God as Jews, who also reject the doctrine of the Trinity.
Another important area of overlap with differences involves Jesus. Many
Christians do not realize that Jesus plays a significant role in Islam, though
not the same role as in Christianity. Unfortunately, as the author notes, too
often conversation about Jesus has involved apologetics and polemics rather
than mutual learning. Despite the challenges, it is possible to engage in
fruitful dialogue without watering down the two understandings of Jesus. So
fruitful discussions will start with acknowledging the differences in
understanding as to how Jesus functions in each tradition. This requires paying
attention to the historical sources, both Christian and Muslim. While Kärkkänen
mentions Mary, I would have loved to see more about the role of Mary in Islam
since she plays a rather significant role, perhaps as important or more
important as in Christianity. Perhaps the reason he does not give as much
attention to Mary is that he is writing for a Protestant audience that tends to
downplay Mary’s role in Christianity.
Because Islam and Christianity have
such a major presence in the world, it behooves us to better understand each
other. Understanding each other has not only religious implications but social,
cultural, and political implications. As I write this review, the United States
is at war with the nation of Iran, a nation that is not only predominantly
Muslim, but practices a particular form of Islam, one that is different from
the form practiced by most of its neighbors. It would be helpful if our leaders
had a better understanding of different forms of Islam. If we are to avoid
forms of Islamophobia, we need to better understand our neighbors who both
practice Islam and seek to be productive citizens of the nation, just like
Christians do. So, I hope that this book can serve as a tonic in Christian
communities so that important conversations can take place between Christians
and Muslims. Our ability to "co-exist" will depend on moving beyond
stereotypes to friendship with Muslims. But it is not only our ability to
co-exist that is at stake, it is the recognition of our shared humanity that is
at stake. In his Epilogue to We Believe: Muslims and Christians in Conversation about Faith, Kärkkäinen writes rather profoundly about where we
stand with each other.
When a Muslim and a Christian meet, it is not only about meeting of two religions. It is an encounter between two human persons, both of them created in the image of God. Notwithstanding deep and wide disagreements about who God is and what God has done, ultimately both the Muslim and the Christian seek truth, beauty, and value in life—and death. (p. 131).
The key to success is to step into the shoes of the other,
to suspend judgment, so we can see things from a different vantage point. That
doesn’t mean we’ll change our religions, but it may change the way we
understand ourselves and others. We may learn something valuable that comes
back our way.
Copies of We Believe can be purchased at your favorite retailer, including my Amazon affiliate and my Bookshop.org affiliate.
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