Between Allah & Jesus

January 15, 2010
Kreeft (philosophy, Boston Coll.), a prolific author on Christian theology and philosophy, argues that Islam can teach Christians strength of will and moral conviction. Kreeft creates conversations between a fictional Muslim student and Christian students and professors on such topics as surrender, jihad, and evolution, with the Muslim student debating the Christians about belief. The dialogs bring out areas of agreement in ways that engender respect for overarching principles accepted by each religionin particular each one's submission to God and desire to do his will. But the conversations also insist that incompatible doctrines of traditional Islam and Christianity signify that one is right and the other wrong, whereas both may be right about different aspects of the same truth. Kreeft also assumes that Christianity and Islam are sole competitors for religious loyalty. VERDICT Committed Christians, especially Catholics, who want positive approaches to Islam, or Muslims seeking to offer some of their beliefs and faith to Christians, may wish to consider reading this. But the book's emphasis on the truth of Christian doctrine (e.g., the Resurrection and the Trinity) does not make it an objective study or primer.William Collins, Library of Congress

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2010
American Muslim Isa, black feminist Libby (short for Liberty), and Evangelical Evan have conversed before in Catholic philosopher Kreefts work (A Refutation of Moral Relativism, 1999; If Einstein Had Been a Surfer, 2009), but then they were his former students, exploring a single large theme. In these interfaith dialogues on many subjects, theyre his Boston College undergrads again, and two priest-professors, one traditional, one liberal, occasionally counsel them. The bones over which they contend include Islam versus the West, Jesus and Muhammad, surrender (the definition of islam), liberals and conservatives, feminism, sexual morality and moral ambiguity, war and pacifism, abortion and compassion, and eight others. They argue knowledgeably, articulately, and respectfully, though Isas congenital inability to soften his words quite mortifies Libby. In the introduction, Kreeft states his admiration for something about Isa that he believes Christians should emulate. He cant define it, he says, but readers who also feel it may conclude it is a compelling, utterly natural combination of compassionate openness and moral groundedness that they, too, admire.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)