The Prophet & the Messiah: An Arab Christian's Perspective on Islam & Christianity

by Chawkat Georges Moucarry

Book Overview

Calling Christians and Muslims to engage in genuine dialogue, Chawkat Moucarry describes and compares the central doctrines (and debunks the common misconceptions) of Christianity and Islam.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0830823158
• ISBN13: 9780830823154
• Release Date: February 2002
• Publisher: IVP
• Length: 327 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.6" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Friendly Approach To Two Tension Gapped WorldViews!!!

The Prophet and the Messiah: An Arab Christian's Perspective on Islam and Christianity, by Chawkat Moucarry, presents a contrast and comparison between Muslim beliefs and Christian beliefs. Moucarry appeals to the audience that the best way in which to witness is through friendship and everyday dialogue. Author's Perspective The author himself is of Arab/Muslim ancestry and Christian heritage. Moucarry states his primary thesis on p. 15, "This book attempts to examine the claims of both Christianity and Islam....what I am seeking, I suppose, is to build a bridge between the Christian and Muslim communities." Moucarry himself has lived in both of these types of communities throughout his life and realizes that there is a surmounting tension growing that must be resolved. He feels that the best way to do such is plainly through simple dialogue. He has seen that in the book market there are many books that are full of harsh criticisms between these communities, thus he decided to write a book in which would as positively as possible shine the light of God into both of these "religions." After having lived as both, he felt that the best possible way to approach each would be to mirror them through contrast and comparison. Presentation of Material Dr. Moucarry divided his book up into five sections:1. The Scriptures (Moucarry gives a detailed account of both the Christian bible and the Muslim Qur'an. He addresses the issue of why Muslim theologians have said that Christians/Jews have falsified the Bible and then ends this section by carefully showing that there could not have been any falsification.)2. The Key Doctrines (Moucarry now turns to many of the specifics that hold these two worlds together and how there are through discrepancies among the Muslims beliefs.)3. The View of Jesus Christ (Moucarry now begins the largest section of his book. He opens through direct quoting of what both the Bible and the Qur'an specifically state about Jesus and which would be more accurate.)4. The View of Muhammad (Moucarry opens the view of Muhammad as seen through the Qur'an and the Hadith. Muslims believe that the Bible (and the alleged Gospel of Barnabas) clearly teaches the forthcoming of this great Prophet-of which Moucarry carefully exegetes the Christian Bible and shows to whom were really foreseen.)5. Contemporary Issue (Moucarry ends his book by addressing somewhat of the "missions" focus as to how these two worldviews can begin a careful and proper assimilation under the Lordship of the true God Jesus Christ.) Prominent Features There are several areas as to where I find this book a tremendous aid. The first area is the extent to which he has researched and written. Moucarry has not just written a basic apologetic as to why "Christianity Stands True," but he has written in such a diverse and expansive way as to shine light into many of the untouched areas of both views. To present the message, he has allowed the two texts to become transparent and to sh

Great introduciton

Like the other reviewer, I also enjoyed "The Prophet and the Messiah". He is highly educated in the filed of Islamic studies and is a well-known spokesman for the educated interaction of the two faiths. From my own limited knowledge of the literature, this has been the most useful of the books on the subject owing to its organization and content. It is not polemical, although Moucarry is clearly a Christian. One little observation is that many books of this sort approach Islam from the Protestant theological tradition. In some ways this seems to be useful since the majority of Protestants and all true Muslims hold a "Quranic" notion of the Book. That is, it is literal and intact as given. In Christian terms, this means that functionally most Protestants have zero conception of how the New Testament was formed from the liturgical heart of the Church, and not vice versa. So in this way the Protestant doctrine of sola scriptura (bible alone) has a false bond with Islam on a textual level. It should be noted, however, that when speaking with Moslems it needs to be remembered that their equivalent to Jesus Christ incarnate of Mary as God is not Muhammad, but the Qur'ân. We have an incarnated God, they have an "inscripturated" God. There is much to learn from the ancient Churches of the Near and Middle East in this regard. Other useful books in this regard are Cragg's "Muhammad and the Christian", "Paths to the Heart" edited by Cutsinger is very useful if you have an interest in Sufism and Eastern Orthodoxy, Bell's "The Origin of Islam in Its Christian Environment", Daniel Sahas' "John of Damascus on Islam: The Heresy of the Ishmaelites", and Stockle's "The Doctrine of Islam and Christian Belief".

Eye opening and helpful

Recently popular Christian writer Don Richardson published a book called "The Secrets of the Koran" in which the author chronicles passages in the Koran that he finds offensive and he wants to bring to the attention of Christian leaders (and all leaders for that matter).In "The Prophet and the Messiah" author Chawkat Moucarry takes a different approach. Moucarry looks at both the Bible and the Qur'an and examines places of connection between them. Quoting both the Qur'an and Islamic theologians, Morcarry finds places of dialog between Christians and Muslims that can lead to a better understanding of both religions and can move a Muslim into a better understanding of the true Christian message.One of the main goals Moucarry has in his book is to create dialog between the Muslim believer and the Christian believer. In writing about his childhood in Syria, Moucarry comments:Although Christians and Muslims have been living together for hundreds of years, they have always had a ghetto mentality, especially with regard to their faiths. Mutual ignorance, some would argue, was the price of trouble-free coexistence . . .This compromise proved quite unacceptable to the teenager I was at that time. Moucarry's book then proceeds to chronicle important doctrines and beliefs of each faith looking at:- the Holy books for both Muslims and Christians- key doctrines for both faiths- Jesus Christ and issues relating to Him- Muhammad and issues relating to him.Along the way Moucarry also looks at key problems between both faiths.For example in Chapter 10 Moucarry looks at the Crucifixion. For many this subject is a place of disagreement between Christians and Muslim that seems irreconcilable. Moucarry helps us see what the Qur'an really says and how early Muslim interpreters did not see this verse as a problem. It was only later that this problem came up. (Read the book to find out more).Moucarry does the same thing for many other key issues such as Jesus the Son of God, the Trinity, Mohammad's prophethood, and the Bible foretelling of Mohammad.With each issue Moucarry looks at what the Qur'an says and what the Bible says and then at the writings of key theologians to help us understand how believers have dealt with this key issues. Along the way we gain deeper understanding of both faiths and, for the true seeker, we gain a greater ability to have dialog and to be able to seek truth together.