Towards a Jewish–Christian–Muslim Theology

Religious debate among Jewish, Christian, and Islamic scholars has acquired urgent new dimensions in recent years. Yet over the course of 1400 years, what have the Abrahamic traditions really learned from each other? Brilliantly demonstrating the ways that Christianity, Islam, and the Judaism have struggled with similarly intractable issues over the centuries, Towards a Jewish–Christian–Muslim Theology offers insightful new pathways for productive theological work, along with deep insights into the topic of faith itself. Burrell uses exercises in ‘creative hermeneutics′ to show how each tradition struggles with complex issues, and how comparative inquiry illuminates those issues to the benefit of each tradition. For each key topic explored, renowned religious scholar and theologian David B. Burrell shows how intellectual trends of their day may be read to extend the reach of each tradition itself. By illuminating the actual and potential interaction among the dominant monotheistic religions, Towards a Jewish–Christian–Muslim Theology offers inspiration for continued theological dialogue and hope for people of all faiths in the 21st century.

Preface: Road to this Inquiry: from Marcel Dubois to Anawati/Gardet, and Vatican II to current exchanges. Introduction. 1. Free creation as a shared task for Jews, Christians, Muslims. 2. Relating divine freedom and human freedom: diverging and converging strategies. 3. Human initiative and divine grace: Augustine and Ghazali. 4. Trust in divine providence: al–Ghazali, deCaussade, and Maimonides. 5. The point of it all: creation to consummation, ‘return’, judgment, and ‘second coming’, with John of the Cross and Edith Stein, Ibn Arabi and Meister Eckhart, Moses Maimonides. 6. Realized eschatology: stories displaying faith as a mode of knowing and journeying. 7. Respectfully negotiating outstanding neuralgic issues: contradictions and conversions. Epilogue: Misuses and Abuses of Abrahamic Traditions.

David B. Burrell , Hesburgh Professor emeritus at University of Notre Dame, teaches Ethics and Development at Uganda Martyrs University. He has published extensively in comparative issues in philosophical theology in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam and is the author of Faith and Freedom (2006), Wiley–Blackwell.

"Burrell’s work is highly learned ...This is not an easy book, but it is well worth the effort in wrestling with as we attempt to come to our own answers to such vexed questions.”  ( Regent’s Reviews , 2012) “This is a challenging, sensitive, appreciative, deep and broad–minded book.”  ( The Muslim World Book Review , 2012) “Burrell encourages dialogue between persons – conversations that may foster mutual understanding of such antithetical issues as ways of interpreting Scripture, Scripture as the word of God, Muslim attitudes toward the Christ figure, and Christians relating to a fresh revelation after Christ. [He] concludes that whatever Christians may think about Judaism and Islam, their encounter with Jews and Muslims is what matters. Recommended: Graduate students and above." Choice (2011)