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.

Introduction 1 1 Free Creation as a Shared Task for Jews, Christians, Muslims 9 2 Relating Divine Freedom with Human Freedom: Diverging and Converging Strategies 25 3 Human Initiative and Divine Grace: Augustine and Ghazali 51 4 Trust in Divine Providence: Tawakkul, “Abandonment,” and “Detachment” 63 5 The Point of it All: “Return,” Judgment, and “Second Coming” – Creation to Consummation 87 6 Realized Eschatology: Faith as a Mode of Knowing and Journeying 129 7 Respectfully Negotiating Outstanding Neuralgic Issues: Contradictions and Conversions 165 Epilog: Misuses and Abuses of Abrahamic Traditions 189 Index 193

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.