Global Christianity and Islam: Exploring History, Politics, and Beliefs

A Comprehensive Overview of Christianity and Islam

Together, the adherents of Christianity and Islam make up over half of the world’s population, and their numbers are expected to keep growing. The influence of these two faiths--and their relations with each other--is seen in politics, economics, and social interactions. Religious identity and aspirations remain powerful and appealing to people around the world. Understanding global realities today requires understanding the histories and dynamics of the world’s largest religions.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of Christianity and Islam, covering three interrelated areas:

• historical developments and encounters,
• the influence of religion on politics,
• and religious beliefs and worldviews.

Wafik W. Wahba highlights key points of similarity and difference and particular factors that contributed to divergence between the Western world and the Muslim world. Exploring the various narratives that have shaped both Christianity and Islam, he argues, is crucial to understanding current trends in Christian-Muslim interactions and their impact on future relations between the two communities globally.

Drawing from decades of experience teaching around the world, Wahba clarifies core beliefs that influence the actions of Muslims and Christians and their attitudes toward the other faith. This book demonstrates how learning from the past should help us avoid repeating mistakes in interactions between religious communities.

Wafik W. Wahba is professor of Global Christianity at Tyndale University in Toronto, Canada. He has taught and lectured on global Christianity and Christian-Muslim relations in twenty-five countries, including in the United States, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and South America. He has contributed to several publications, including Edinburgh Companion to Global Christianity, The Rowman and Littlefield Handbook of Christianity in the Middle East, and Cascade’s series The Global Story of Christianity. He served on the editorial advisory board and contributed several entries to the Encyclopedia of Christianity in the Global South.