I had my Introduction to Systematic Theology class this morning [which, by the way, is going amazingly well–my students are outstanding this semester!], and someone mentioned something in class that I thought was worth sharing here. One of our course textbooks is Migliore’s Faith Seeking Understanding, and in the chapter we read for today, he mentions the open letter “A Common Word between Us and You,” which was addressed to Christian scholars and church leaders and signed by 138 Muslim scholars and religious leaders. It was published in 2007.
I feel I might have mentioned this already in this blog, but in case I haven’t, I wanted to be sure to share it again, given how many Christians continue to struggle with finding moderate Muslim voices to read and talk about with others. So, here’s the link: A Common Word. On the website, you can find the full text of the letter, reading lists, and a wide variety of source material that can help Christians gain a better understanding of Islam and more familiarity with authoritative moderate Muslim voices. I strongly encourage you to check it out.
In the letter, the Muslim leaders say the following: “Thus in obedience to the Holy Qur’an, we as Muslims invite Christians to come together with us on the basis of what is common to us, which is also what is most essential to our faith and practice: the Two Commandments of love [love of God and love of neighbor].” Certainly, we can agree on that, can’t we?
Happy Lutheran 