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Book Review
More in Common than you think:
The Bridge between Islam and Christianity
By Dr. William Baker
By Paul Findley
U.S. Muslims are often cited as the second most numerous religious community in America, exceeded only by Christians. Estimates usually show six million or more adherents, some reach seven million. Ranking third are U.S. Jews, who number about five-and-one-half million.
In contrast to Christian views of Jews, who are generally regarded with sympathy if not support, the attitude of U.S. Christians toward Muslims is largely negative. I find few Christians who have no opinion about Islam. Those with an opinion almost always automatically—falsely, of course—link Muslims with terrorism, bigotry and intolerance.
The Christians who have correct information—like U.S. Muslims themselves—make little effort to correct these false perceptions.
Sympathy for Jews arises mainly from the Nazi Holocaust and the constant reminder on television and in the print media of this dreadful episode in human history. Support for Israel—and therefore for Jews generally—comes substantially from Christian fundamentalists who believe, contrary to my own belief, that a militarily strong Israel is an essential part of God’s plan. Their passionate belief in this doctrine leads them to dismiss Arab/Muslim claims to their ancestral property in Palestine as contrary to the will of God.
Even members of the mainstream Christian clergy, who, one would assume, should be correctly informed about all monotheistic religions, are generally as silent, if not as poorly informed, as lay citizens. If they know the truth about Islam, they keep it to themselves.
There are other reasons for false stereotypes and general misinformation about Islam. They are many and complicated, too numerous to discuss in this brief review. At this point, it is sufficient to note the grim nature of the present scene. U.S. Muslims are terribly misunderstood and, up to this point, little has been done to correct the stereotypes.
But to this otherwise discouraging scene comes a promising new book, More in Common Than You Think: The Bridge Between Islam and Christianity. The author is Dr. William Baker, a former archeologist who in recent years has focused his remarkable energies and talent on the plight of Palestinians under Israeli occupation and the urgent need for Christian-Muslim understanding.
A former professor of ancient history and Biblical studies, Baker is the founder and president of an organization called CAMP, an acronym that stands for Christians and Muslims for Peace.
His book is what I call an “easy read.” It is clear, illuminating and compelling. It is also brief. The text consists of only 101 pages. It supports the inter-faith “bridges” with quotations directly from the Bible and the 1989 edition of The Meaning of the Glorious Qur’an: New Edition with Revised Translation and Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali.
It presents cogently the fundamental teachings shared by Islam and Christianity, teachings that form the solid foundation that should lead the two largest religious communities to cooperate enthusiastically and to live in mutual respect with each other.
It dismisses in brief persuasive language the often-expressed warning that Islam, the fastest-growing religion in the world, threatens the democracies of the West and that Christians and Muslims are headed for an inevitable clash reminiscent of the ancient Crusader wars.
Baker’s book should have ready acceptance in the Christian evangelical community—a broad and diverse one—because of his long, close relationship with Rev. Robert H. Schuller, founding pastor of the Crystal Cathedral and television pastor of the “Hour of Power” program carried worldwide on television.
Schuller warns that “the coming century will most surely witness either a coalition or a collision between Islam and Christianity.” He adds, “True believers in God must move our society and our world from combatibility to compatibility; from intolerance to tolerance; positive Christians and Muslims becoming partners in peace. I am convinced this book by Dr. Baker will prove to be a significant contribution in bringing Christians and Muslims together to live in peace and mutual respect.”
It is also praised by a leader of the U.S. Muslims. Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi, president of the Islamic Society of North America, one of the largest and most active of U.S. Islamic groups, writes: “We Muslims and Christians together make up more than half of the world population today. Better understanding, communication and peaceful relations between our communities are not only good but they are essential for our well-being and for the well-being of the world at large….I admire Dr. William Baker’s contribution to building the bridges of understanding between Christians and Muslims. I agree with him that we have much more in common than we think or accept.”
In Chapter 3, Baker writes:
“Few Christians are aware that Prophet Muhammad, the messenger of Islam, believed Jesus and Moses were the most important bearers of God’s revelation to mankind, that message is enshrined in the Torah and New Testament. Islam embraces both books and includes portions of both in the text of the Qur’an.
“As Christians believe the New Testament was the completion of the Old Testament of Judaism, so Muslims believe Islam and the Qur’an serve as the final completion of both books, and Muhammad as the last Prophet or Messenger of God. Both the Torah and the New Testament are viewed by Islam as inspired revelation of God to mankind. Both Jews and Christians are referred to in the Qur’an as ‘People of the Book,’ meaning the Bible.”
He quotes from Surah 29:46 to support this conclusion: “The Qur’an calls upon Muslims to attempt to sit down peacefully with People of the Book in an effort to find the common ground between them,” and from Surah 3:84 to support this statement: “Muslims are asked to follow the good examples of the earlier Prophets of the Bible.”
Baker notes, “Although the Jews joined with the enemies of early Islam, neither they nor Judaism were targeted by Muhammad or Islam. It is a fact of history that when the Jews were being persecuted in Europe during the Middle Ages they found peace, harmony and acceptance among the Muslim people of Spain. In fact, this was the era of Jewish history that they themselves refer to as ‘the Golden Age.’”
Baker finds that both the Bible and Islam condemn the worship of any other God as idolatry and that “A Muslim can no more be a ‘card-carrying communist’ than a Christian can belong to and support the creed of world atheism.”
He notes that both Islam and Christianity teach that God is in control of all things, including the destiny of mankind, collectively and individually. He writes, “The sovereignty of God in both the Qur’an and the Bible is remarkably similar.”
He writes that Sheikh Ahmad Kuftaro, spiritual leader of the Muslims of Syria, said to him in 1987: “My dear brother, you cannot be a true Muslim unless you love, respect and honor Jesus.”
As one who has endeavored for the past three years to create understanding of Islam among Christians, I recommend Baker’s book as required reading by the Christian clergy in the United States. I also suggest that all imams and other leaders of the Muslim community—in America and beyond—place it at the top of their reading list.
Muslim leaders are better informed about Christianity than the reverse, but, at the least, they will find comfort in the fact that a lay Christian has produced a document that can help immensely in creating mutual respect and harmony between the two largest faith traditions in the world.
Paul Findley is a former congressman and author of Silent No More
Another Review
By Srinidhi Anantharamiah
William W. Baker, a well-traveled Christian theologian and Biblical archeologist, has released an important work that is timely and pertinent to advancing human understanding and tolerance by shattering stereotypes and misconceptions that have often arisen between followers of the world's two largest monotheistic faiths, Christianity and Islam. In this clear and concise text, Baker introduces lay persons to the great religion of Islam, which now has some 1.2 billion adherents and is the fastest-growing religion in both the United States and the United Kingdom. When the media reports tragic conflicts between Muslims and non-Muslims in such diverse regions as Kosovo, Ethiopia, Kashmir, Lebanon, and Israel/ Palestine, one can only ask, is it religions that bring about wars, or is it opportunistic politicians misusing scripture, who bring about the death, destruction and needless suffering?
Baker's central theme throughout More in Common Than You Think is mapping the common ground between Islam and Christianity. The first three chapters give the reader some insight into the origins and development of Islam. Even in the historical background, the author illustrates the common origins of Islam and Christianity and the significance of Old Testament scripture to both faiths. He draws special attention to the life and message of Prophet Muhammad and his vision of tolerance and peaceful coexistence between Christians and Muslims. Baker also provides a good explanation of the five basic tenets of Islam: Witnessing, Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving, and Pilgrimage. He relates these basic tenets of Islam to the basic principles of Christianity.
Chapters four through six are devoted exclusively to clarifying common misperceptions and stereotypical presentations of Islam and Christianity, which have sadly come to be accepted as facts by many Westerners. These include the role of the Gospel of Christ in Islamic thought, the persistent equation of Arab and Islam, ignoring the fact that not all Muslims are Arab and not all Arabs are Muslim, the differing roles of women in Islamic countries, and the various meanings of the term jihad. These chapters are perhaps the most important in Baker's compilation of common ground between Muslims and Christians. They are presented very succinctly and are not accusatory or denunciatory toward any religious community. Baker argues intelligently that blindly accepting popular media representations of fringe elements in both Christianity and Islam is a serious injustice to the millions of Muslims and Christians who follow their respective faiths and live and work side by side.
The last chapter gives special emphasis to contemporary Islam and Christianity and the possibilities of building dialogue at the community level to avoid misunderstandings and to seek a more accommodating environment based on peace and mutual respect, particularly in the West. He also presents examples of Islamic contribution to the arts and sciences.
Baker's final analysis also poses an important challenge. He asks the reader what he or she will do with the knowledge acquired from reading this summary of the parallels between the world's two largest religions. He urges readers not only to do more research and reading about Christianity and Islam but also to share their understanding with fellow truth seekers.
Baker notes that his own insights into the similarities between the two faiths have culminated in the founding of CAMP (Christians and Muslims for Peace). CAMP is an organization of Christians and Muslims who believe that by working together within their communities and nations they can help resolve many of the current conflicts in which Muslims and Christians are opposing one another. Baker directly asks what is wrong with peaceful coexistence between Christians and Muslims.
Baker supplements his text with an easy-to-comprehend glossary of Islamic terms and a suggested reading list to encourage the reader to further his or her understanding of both Islam and Christianity. He provides some photos of his work at CAMP to promote peaceful dialogue between Muslims and Christians.
As a person of Hindu background who accepts Christian principles and is seeking to understand the parallels between the world's two largest faiths, I think Bill Baker's book serves as an excellent reference and one whose time has come. It is not intended as a scholarly treatise on comparative religion. Instead, as Baker points out in his analysis, his intention is to open the minds of all readers. The author kept my interest through concise and clear explanations in a question-and-answer format. I highly recommend this text to anyone of inquisitive mind who wishes to seek knowledge in the hope of sharing it with others.
Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu said that "a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." True understanding of the common ground that exists between Islam and Christianity can begin with a reading of this thought-provoking book.
Srinidhi Anantharamiah, Ph.D., is an economist and free-lance writer based in Mississippi.
Product Information:
Dr William W Baker, 1998
Pages 125 Paperback,
Defenders Publications,
P.O. Box 8038, Laguna Hills,
A 92654-8038
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