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This book offers a comparative theological exploration of the challenges and opportunities presented by the Qur´anic representation of Christianity as the People of the Book , ahl al-kitab, in the Qur´anic commentary tradition. It explores the use of the term in the context of our increasingly interconnected and pluralist societies.

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This book offers a comparative theological exploration of the challenges and opportunities presented by the Qur´anic representation of Christianity as the People of the Book , ahl al-kitab , in the Qur´anic commentary tradition. The research is divided into three parts. The first part explores the Qur´anic understanding of the People of the Book through traditional Islamic exegesis, known as tafsir , of four Islamic scholars whose work spans more than a thousand years. Part two takes a closer look at the pre-Islamic period, the occasion of revelation of the Qur´an as well as the Arabic speaking Christian response to Islam in the post-conquest period. Part Three explores the modern use of the term People of the Book by several scholars in the context of our increasingly interconnected and pluralist societies.

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CONTENTS: Ahl al-Kitab : The Qur´anic People of the Book - Beyond Al-jahiliyya : The Social and Historical Context of the People of the Book in Pre-Islamic Arabia - Resisting the Construct: Post-Conquest Christian Theological Responses to Islam - Contemporary Islamic Use of the Term "People of the Book" - Contemporary Muslim-Christian Engagement with the People of the Book - Conclusions: Challenges and Opportunities.

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"The book takes the reader through centuries of relations between Muslims and the ´People of the Book´ It starts by showing the mosaic in Arabia at the time of the Islamic revelation and sheds light on the different relations that Muhammad had with ´the People of the Book´, nuancing claims and generalizations, and allowing for a deeper contextualized understanding of Qur´anic verses related to Christians and Jews. It goes on to explore the different theologies of the other from both Christian and Muslim perspectives from classical times to our current time, highlighting what has been achieved and where the future of Christian-Muslim relations still needs to build, ending on a note of hope.In times of mutual fears and latent conflicts of identities, Richard Kimball reminds his readers that theology is a journey, and that interreligious openness is a criterion of good faith." (Dr Nayla Tabbara, Director of the Institute of Citizenship and Diversity Management, Adyan Foundation)

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Dr. Richard Lawrence Kimball is a founding member of the Galway Interfaith Alliance. His interest in Muslim Christian relations began while serving as a U. S. Peace Corps volunteer in Gabes, Tunisia in the 1980s. Here he came into contact with the Christian community of southern Tunisia and in particularly Père Dominique Tommy-Martin of the White Fathers of Africa who has inspired Richard. Père Dominique taught Richard, as well as many others throughout his more than 60 years of ministry, that it is indeed possible to be Christian and to love and respect Islam. He recently received his PhD in Philosophy from the Irish School of Ecumenics, Trinity College, Dublin. Richard is currently working on an English translation of Al-Tabari´s Jami al-bayan an ta_wil ay al-Qur_an with Dr. Ali Selim.

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