By Adis Duderija, New Age Islam
31 January 2024
Introduction
For over a millennium, the prevailing historical conception in the West has viewed Islam and Christianity as radically separate and opposing civilizational entities. However, emerging scholarship invites us to ponder this framing anew, exploring whether alternative perspectives may better reflect the nuanced realities of their intertwined development. In his seminal work "The Case for Islamo-Christian Civilization", a book that I use in my course on Islam and Muslim Communities in the West at Griffith University, Richard Bulliet, among other things, considers potential obstacles hindering acceptance of Islam and Christianity as interlinked within a shared cultural matrix, then subjects each assertion to critical scrutiny. Drawing from Bulliet's incisive analysis, this essay aims to build upon his argument by delving examining these objections and reconsidering their validity and impact on western Muslims’ identity.
Bulliet argues that there are several obstacles that appear to hinder the viability of his case for Islamo-Christian civilisation including:
1. Chronological Discrepancy: The idea that Muhammad lived approximately 700 years after Christ, creating a significant time gap between the two historical figures and their respective civilizations.
2. Inveterate Hostility: Throughout history, Islam has repeatedly launched attacks on Christendom, leading to an enduring sense of enmity and hostility between the two religious groups.
3. Christian Experience: Christians who have encountered Islam over the centuries have consistently perceived it as an enemy and an alien power, further hindering the establishment of a connection between the two civilizations.
4. Scriptural Error: The Quran and the Bible share numerous stories, but the Quranic versions are often seen as inaccurate or distorted in comparison to the biblical narratives.
5. Denial of Divine Truth: While Islam recognizes Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad as Messengers of God, it falls short of affirming the divinity of Christ, which is a fundamental belief in Christianity.
6. Ingratitude: Islam has not acknowledged its indebtedness to Judaism and Christianity in terms of doctrine, nor has it recognized them as its parent religions (2004, p.13).
These obstacles contribute to the perceived difficulty in linking the histories of Muslim and Christian civilizations, as they involve significant religious, historical, and doctrinal differences that have shaped the relationship between the two throughout history. In conversation with Bulliet we critically evaluate these arguments as follows.
Chronological Discrepancy
The notion of Muhammad appearing some seven centuries after Jesus is undeniably accurate. We know, however, that ancient Near Eastern thinkers communicated across vast distances through expanding trade networks since antiquity. Scholars also recognize striking similarities between Islamic, Jewish and Christian scriptural stories, implying shared oral traditions circulating the Levant continuously. Rather than separation, the continuum of Near Eastern cultural commingling offers a more organic lens. A flexible periodization sensitive to trans-regional interactions better captures civilizations' complexity.
Inveterate Hostility
Conflict undeniably occurred yet there was more than just conflict. Early Islamic rule over Christian realms like Syria proved tolerable to subjects, as Caliphates later safeguarded European Christendom from Mongol hordes. In Iberia, relatively harmonious co-existence lasted centuries as Muslims, Christians and Jews jointly advanced philosophy. Even Crusades invoked to question Islam's European belonging neglect there was also conflict between different types of Christianity during this time too. While tension emerged, relations oscillated between cooperation and conflict like any neighbours, denying a natural antipathy thesis. Recasting disputes as intra-civilizational rather than religious (Islam vs. Christianity) has the potential to reconcile Islam's European roots with geopolitical vicissitudes.
Christianity-Islam Othering Experience
Certainly medieval Christendom framed Islam as a threatening 'other' and vice versa . However, just as European attitudes toward Jews transformed from conflict to inclusion, recognizing shared destinies reorients perceptions. Early Christian chroniclers depicted foreign peoples like Huns or Vikings similarly yet today none question their place within Europe. Even famed Crusader accounts describe “Saracen” piety and valour, complicating alien imageries. Today, the vast majority of western Muslims peacefully live and contribute to western liberal democracies.
Scriptural Inaccuracies
While certain Quranic narratives differ from their biblical versions, comparative studies find most respond to contexts of seventh century Arabia, aiming not to replace but build upon earlier Abrahamic traditions. In any case, holy books represent singular interpretations among a diversity. Even within Christianity, the Ethiopic Bible includes books absent from others. More significantly, no religion holds a monopoly over historical veracity – all modern scholarship recognizes scriptures involve selective retellings reflecting diverse communities. Rather than error, the Quran's adaptations portray an independent yet genetically linked voice within a complex cultural exchange. An organic relationship transcends artificial impositions of doctrinal conformity.
Denial of Christ's Divinity
Undoubtedly Islam diverges from mainstream forms Christianity in defining Christ's nature (but not necessarily crucifixion) yet denying their broader interconnectedness on these grounds disregards how beliefs evolve dialogically. Just as Christianity's doctrines emerged through longstanding inner theological debates and external influences, so too did Islam - yet both refer to shared wellsprings in their formulation of monotheism. Even differences denote relatedness, as siblings diverge while recognising a common ancestry. Today's diverse modern attitudes among Christians and rejection of dogma affirm doctrinal pluralism need not preclude cultural citizenship. An inclusive civilizational frame accepts this diversity while stressing interwoven fates and mutual formative impact over rigid demarcations.
Ingratitude towards Parent Faiths
The concept of Islam rejecting parent faith status towards Judaism and Christianity likewise imposes anachronistic categories ignoring how identities develop organically. Islam emerged not to displace earlier traditions but carve an independent yet recognizably kindred community, as seen in its preservation of biblical figures. Even today, religiosity encompasses personal belief amid wider belonging to indefinable yet deeply meaningful collectivities. Rather than being viewed as ingratitude, Islam’s independent teachings signalled an ethnic and national awakening within Late Antiquity’s religious marketplace, articulating new shared symbolic markers of a burgeoning sociopolitical order.
Implications for Western Muslims
The arguments presented by Bulliet can strengthen Western Muslim identity by challenging the traditional narratives that have positioned Islam and Christianity as inherently opposed to each other. By addressing the chronological discrepancy, inveterate hostility, Christian experience, scriptural error, denial of divine truth, and ingratitude arguments, Western Muslims can emphasize the historical interconnectedness, shared cultural heritage, and the potential for dialogue and coexistence between Islamic and Christian civilizations. This reframing allows Western Muslims to foster a sense of belonging within the Western context and promote a more inclusive understanding of their religious and cultural identity.
By critically evaluating these arguments, Western Muslims can counter the perception of enmity and hostility, highlight the periods of cooperation and mutual influence, and challenge the notion of Islam as an alien power. They can also emphasize the contextual nature of religious texts, the diversity of interpretations, and the evolving beliefs and theological debates within Islam and Christianity. This inclusive approach acknowledges the shared roots and interconnectedness between the two religions while recognizing the distinctiveness and independent contributions of each, ultimately strengthening the Western Muslim identity within the broader Western context.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Bulliet by re-examining the ostensible obstacles to the idea of a Islamo-Christian Civilisation, helps us gain insights into the contingencies and complexities underlying all civilizational phenomena. Rather than division, the evidence demonstrates continual interaction and influence between Islamic and Christian societies across many centuries, fluctuating relations grounded not just in opposition but a shared matrix of cultural formation. Reconceptualizing their relationship as intra-civilizational better reflects this intricate, dynamic symbiosis between faith communities that together shaped Western heritage. An inclusive civilizational frame counters counterproductive Othering while cultivating constructive shared stewardship over history. By adopting this inclusive approach, Western Muslims can recognize the shared origins and interwoven nature of Islam and Christianity, while also appreciating the unique characteristics and independent contributions of each religion. This perspective contributes to the strengthening of Western Muslim identity within the wider Western context, fostering a sense of belonging and understanding that embraces both commonalities and differences between the two faiths.
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A decades old patron of New Age Islam, Dr Adis Duderija is a Senior Lecturer in the Study of Islam and Society, School of Humanities, Languages and Social Science; Senior Fellow Centre for Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue, Griffith University | Nathan | Queensland | Australia. His forthcoming books are ( co-edited)- Shame, Modesty, and Honor in Islam and Interfaith Engagement Beyond the Divide (Springer)
URL: https://newageislam.com/interfaith-dialogue/civilisational-islam-christianity-western-muslims/d/131621
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