The New Testament : An Islamic Perspective : Early Christianity and the Assault of Hellenism (J R. Crook)
Description
ISBN: 1567447287
Author: Jay R. Crook
Publisher: ABC International Group
Pages: 632 Binding: Paperback
Description from the publisher:
In the New Testament: An Islamic Perspective (Volume 2 of a Comparison of the Quranic Stories of Surabadi With the Bible), the author compares the New Testament stories of Mary, Jesus, and others with the brief notices about them in the Quran and the fuller stories in a representative medieval Quranic Commentary, that of the Sunni Muslim, Surabadi. The stories are examined in detail from a Muslim point of view, and the differences between the traditional Christian and the Islamic forms explored, as well as the reasons for such differences. The book becomes a journey through the literature and history of the Classical world in search of Jesus and his principal interpreter, Paul. Going beyond the familiar Biblical stories, it ventures into unfamiliar pagan and non-canonical Christian writings, often with surprising results.
The analysis of the stories themselves is preceded by an extensive Introduction examining the credentials of the basic Islamic and Biblical documents of the study, including a detailed examination of modern theories about the textual history and development of the New Testament, of particular importance for the reader interested in comparative religion. The many topics discussed in this volume include : oral literature, Roman Palestine and its Jewish sects, the gospels and the New Testament canon, extra-Biblical writings, John the Baptist, the Trinity, Mariolatry, the Nativity, the nature of the Messiah, the Passion, the Paracelete, Armageddon, and even St. George and the Dragon. Much space is devoted to a thorough review of the crucial role of Paul in the development of modern Christianity, together with his conversion, his relations with the Disciples (especially James and Peter), and the controversies over circumcision and the Mosaic Law. The New Testament : An Islamic Perspective is a valuable resource for furthering interfaith dialogue and understanding. A glossary and extensive Bibliographies are included.
