Muslim Faith and Values: A Guide for Christians

"Christians are called to love Muslims in all their little particularities." This was the advice Duncan Black MacDonald, famous scholar of Islam and teacher of missionaries to Muslim lands, gave to his students. His words from a hundred years ago remain true today. This book invites the reader to explore Islam as a human religion, a religion embodied in what Muslims believe and value. Learning about Islam through the beliefs and values that Muslims hold, the reader will be prepared to engage in fruitful conversation with Muslim neighbors, and better understand their struggles and aspirations. Along the way the reader will learn about Muhammad and the Qur'an, discover the rich history of Islamic civilizations, and learn the ways contemporary Muslims confront the challenges of the modern world. The reader will meet poets, mystics, theologians, and everyday people living out their response to God's call to Islam, to submission and peace, and will compare Muslim beliefs to Christian beliefs, learning how they coincide and differ. By the end the reader will have a richer understanding of Muslims and the religion of Islam, and will have explored the most fruitful ways to relate to the Muslim neighbors they are obliged to love. "Many images of Islam that prevail in the Western hemisphere misrepresent this religious tradition with its nearly two billion adherents throughout the world. Robert Hunt offers a balanced and empathetic account designed especially for Christian readers who seek a better understanding of Muslim faith and values." --Ruben L. F. Habito, Professor of World Religions and Spirituality, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University "Robert Hunt is an exceptionally gifted scholar and teacher. Drawing upon his decades of research and his years of living in Asia, the Middle East, central Europe, and elsewhere, Hunt has acquired a deeply nuanced understanding of Islam. There is no more effective leader in the Christian community than Robert Hunt at communicating the depths of faith and the differences in practice among Muslims. This book displays those gifts superbly." --William B. Lawrence, Professor Emeritus of American Church History, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University "This book will stimulate the imagination and deepen readers' understanding of the ideals and beauty of Islam. Robert Hunt has produced a captivating introductory text that is at once learned and accessible, poetic and useful. I recommend it very highly." --Dana L. Robert, Truman Collins Professor of World Christianity and History of Mission, Boston University Robert Hunt was a United Methodist Missioary in Malaysia, Singapore, and Austria for twenty years. He is now the Director of Global Theological Education at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University. He lectures in Islamic Studies, World Religions, and Cultural Intelligence, and is author of The Gospel Among the Nations: A Documentary History of Inculturation (2010). Read more