Resources
The following list of books, websites, and articles is designed to help give you tools to converse more effectively with your Muslim friends.
Start With These
Medearis, Carl. 2008 Muslims, Christians, and Jesus. Minneapolis, MN: BethanyHouse.
Accad, Fouad Elias. 1997 Building Bridges – Christianity and Islam. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.
Jones, E. Stanley. 1972 The Unshakable Kingdom and the Unchanging Person. Bellingham, WA: McNett Press.
Siljander, Mark. 2008. A Deadly Misunderstanding: A Congressman’s Quest to Bridge the Muslim-Christian Divide. Harper Collins: New York.
Books
Islamic-Christian Studies
Accad, Fouad Elias. 1997 Building Bridges – Christianity and Islam. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.
Written by a Lebanese pastor who devoted his life to connecting with his Muslim countrymen, this book provides several useful insights for dialogue. A useful introduction to the conversational approach.
Chandler, Paul-Gordon. 2007 Pilgrims of Christ on the Muslim Road – Exploring a New Path between Two Faiths. Lanham, MD: Cowley Publications.
An interesting investigation of the relationship between Islam and Christianity as seen through the examples of the life of Syrian novelist Mazhar Mallouhi, a self-described “Sufi Muslim follower of Christ.”
Cragg, Kenneth. 1985 Jesus and the Muslim—An Exploration. Oxford: OneWorld Publications.
Goddard, Hugh. 2000. A History of Christian-Muslim Relations. New Amsterdam Books: Chicago, IL
This is a great resource for people who want to understand the landscape of Christian-Muslim relations since the 6th through the 21 century. It is detailed and fair, accessible and stimulating. Profoundly helpful.
Ibn Isma’il, Adan. 2006 The Belief of Isma’il. Minneapolis, MN: Isma’il Books.
Written as a dialogue between two Muslim friends who are discussing the role of Jesus in the Qur’an. An excellent tool to share with your Muslim friends.
Kateregga, Badru D. and Shenk, David W. 1997 A Muslim and a Christian in Dialogue. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press.
Kateregga, a Muslim, and Shenk, a Christian, give a helpful exploration of key points of difference and agreement between Islam and Christianity.
Medearis, Carl. 2008 Muslims, Christians, and Jesus. Minneapolis, MN: BethanyHouse.
This book is a great place to start—clear, informative, and compassionate. Also includes a number of excellent firsthand stories of conversations and encounters with Muslim friends.
Moucarry, Chawkat. 2002 The Prophet and the Messiah: An Arab Christian’s Perspective on Islam and Christianity. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
Parrinder, Geoffrey. 1965 Jesus in the Qur’an. New York: Oxford University Press.
This work gives an exegetical exposition of all the Qur’anic references to Jesus. This is a great resource for people who are serious about looking deeper into what the Qur’an says about Jesus.
Robinson, Neal. 1991 Christ in Islam and Christianity. New York: Suny Press.
This is a great reference work. It gives a serious and detailed treatment of Jesus within both Islam and Christianity. It’s only downfall is that it is very difficult to find.
Zwemer, Samuel M.1912 The Moslem Christ – An Essay on the Life, Character, and Teachings of Jesus Christ According to the Koran and Orthodox Traditions. New York: American Tract Society.
Contemporary Middle Eastern Issues
Chapman, Colin. 2002 Whose Promised Land? Grand Rapids MI: Baker Books.
Fisk, Robert. 2007 The Great War for Civilization: The Conquest of the Middle East. New York: Vintage.
Friedman, Thomas L. 1995 From Beirut to Jerusalem. New York: Anchor Books
Maalouf, Tony. 2003 Arabs in the Shadow of Israel – The Unfolding of God’s Prophetic Plan for Ishmael’s Line. Grand Rapids MI: Kregel Academic and Professional.
Kingdom Theology
Jones, E. Stanley. 1972 The Unshakable Kingdom and the Unchanging Person. Bellingham, WA: McNett Press.
This book is the readable and incredibly powerful culmination—Jones wrote the book at age 87— of a life spent teaching and living out the Kingdom of God as revealed in Scripture. A must-read.
Willard, Dallas. 1998 The Divine Conspiracy. San Francisco, CA: HarperSanFrancisco.
A brilliant exposition of the Sermon on the Mount and its implications for Kingdom discipleship.
Wright, N. T. 2006 Simply Christian. San Francisco, CA: HarperSanFrancisco.
Middle Eastern Studies
Aslan, Reza. 2006 No god but God. New York, NY: Random House.
A readable but scholarly account of the origins of Islam, the life of Muhammad (pbuh), and their implications for modern Islam.
Chapman, Colin. 2002. Whose Promised Land? Grand Rapids MI: Baker Books.
This is a fresh, comprehensive biblical and historical investigation of the issues related to the land of Israel and the people of Palestine.
Fisk, Robert. 2007. The Great War for Civilization: The Conquest of the Middle East. New York: Vintage.
Fisk, a longtime British correspondent, writes an engaging, firsthand account of most of the Middle Eastern conflicts that have occurred during the last 50 years. To understand the region, a must read.
Friedman, Thomas L. 1995. From Beirut to Jerusalem. New York: Anchor Books.
An enjoyable, exciting introduction to modern Israel, Lebanon and the conflict between them.
Maalouf, Tony. 2003. Arabs in the Shadow of Israel – The Unfolding of God’s Prophetic Plan for Ishmael’s Line. Grand Rapids MI: Kregel Academic and Professional.
Develops more fully the history of Ishmael’s line and its role in the biblical plans of God.
Qur’an Translations
Arberry A.J. 1996 The Koran Interpreted – A Translation. New York: Touchstone – Simon & Schuster.
Archaic language but perhaps the most accurate of the translations; Arberry strives to maintain the poetic nature of the Qur’anic verse.
Dawood, N.J. 2003 The Koran – Translated with Notes. London: Penguin Classics.
Preserves the accurate Arabic meanings in several key areas, including Sura 3.55.
Haleem, Abdel 2005 The Qur’an. New York: Oxford University Press.
Very readable; in translation style akin to the New Living Translation of the Bible.
Articles
Brown, Rick. 2007 “Biblical Muslims.” International Journal of Frontier Missions, vol. 24:2 Spring, 65-72.
Coming, Joseph. 2001. “Did Jesus Die on the Cross? – The History of Reflection on the End of His Early Life in Sunni Tasfir Literature. Yale University: New Haven, CT.
This article is very helpful in showing people the variety of ways Muslims have viewed the death of Jesus throughout History. Highly recommended!
Cumming, Joseph. 2009. Muslim Followers of Jesus? Christianity Today December 2009. http://www.christianitytoday.com/globalconversation/december2009/index.html
This article is very helpful for developing a basic understanding of Muslim followers of Jesus from Cummings perspective. There is also lively discussion in the comment section. Accad’s insights are particularly helpful.
Jameson, Richard and Nick Scalevich. 2000 “First-Century Jews and Twentieth-Century Muslims.” International Journal of Frontier Missions, vol. 17:1 Spring, 33-39.
Compares the modern trend of Muslim followers of Isa to the first-century Jews who also put their trust in the Messiah.
Saeed, Abdullah. 2002 “The Charge of Distortion of Jewish and Christian Scriptures.” The Muslim World, vol. 92:3-4 Fall, 419-436.
An enlightening history of the Muslim charge of corruption brought against the Bible.
Travis, John. 2000 “Messianic Muslim Followers of Isa.” International Journal of Frontier Missions, vol. 17:1 Spring, 53-59.
A key piece in the contextualization conversation, includes case studies of Muslim followers of Isa.Bibliography
Websites
Qur’an Searches:
Search Qur’an – www.searchquran.org
Corpus Qur’an – www.corpus.quran.com
Islamicity – www.islamicity.com/QuranSearch
Online Resources:
Carl Medearis’ Personal Website – www.carlmedearis.com
International Journal of Frontier Missions - www.ijfm.org/archives.htm
Current Trends in Islamist Ideology – www.futureofmuslimworld.com
