Building a Better Bridge

Building a Better Bridge is a record of the fourth "Building Bridges" seminar held in Sarajevo in 2005 as part of an annual symposium on Muslim-Christian relations cosponsored by Georgetown University and the Archbishop of Canterbury. This volume presents the texts of the public lectures with regional presentations on issues of citizenship, religious believing and belonging, and the relationship between government and religion—both from the immediate situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina and from three contexts further afield: Britain, Malaysia, and West Africa.

Both Christian and Muslim scholars propose key questions to be faced in addressing the issue of the common good. How do we approach the civic sphere as believers in particular faiths and as citizens of mixed societies? What makes us who we are, and how do our religious and secular allegiances relate to one another? How do we accommodate our commitment to religious values with acknowledgment of human disagreement, and how can this be expressed in models of governance and justice? How are we, mandated by scriptures to be caretakers, to respond to the current ecological and economic disorder of our world?

Michael Ipgrave and his contributors do not claim to provide definitive answers to these questions, but rather they further a necessary dialogue and show that, while Christian and Islamic understandings of God may differ sharply and perhaps irreducibly, the acknowledgment of one another as people of faith is the surest ground on which to build trust, friendship, and cooperation.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Muslims, Christians and the Common Good
Michael Ipgrave

1. Believers and Citizens

"In Broken Images": Faith in the Public Sphere
Maleiha Malik

Christian Faith and National Belonging
Michael Nazir-Ali

Faith and National Identity of Catholics in Bosnia-Herzegovina
Mato Zovkic

The Identity of Christians in Church and in State
Bogdan Lubardič

Faith and National Identity in Britain
Zaki Badawi and Michael Ipgrave

Notes

2. Seeking the Common Good

Islamic Views of the Collective
Tariq Ramadan

The Common Good: Catholicism, Pluralism, and Secular Society
John Langan

Bosnian Muslim Scholars on Governance and Justice
Fikret Karcic

Muslim and Christian Perspectives on Different Models of Governance and Justice
Vladimir Ciric

Government and Religion in Malaysia
Mohammad Hashim Kamali

Different Models of Governance and Justice: A West African Christian Perspective
John Azumah

Notes

3. Caring Together for the World We Share

Christianity, Islam and the Challenge of Poverty
Rowan Williams

Poverty and the Charism of Ishmael
Timothy J. Winter

Speaking to the Heart
Ellen F. Davis

Āyatology and Rahmatology: Islam and the Environment
Aref Ali Nayed

Notes

Conclusion

Building Bridges in Bosnia-Herzegovina
Michael Ipgrave

Index

Reviews

"In a world in which Islamophobia (fed by militant right wing, anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim political parties, clergy and neo-cons, as well as religious extremism and anti-Westernism) thrives, Building Bridges continues to be an important multilateral beacon of light. It represents the best of Jesus and Muhammad's spirit and 'inclusive' vision and message."—John L. Esposito, professor & founding director, Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University

"A valuable piece of education for theologians, intellectuals, and politicians alike. It raises all the right questions about Muslim-Christian relations, and offers some useful and even provocative answers. The analysis in this book is as vital for experts as it is for the general public to know that there is a common way for all of us."—HE Mustafa Cerić, Grand Mufti of Bosnia

Contributors

John AzumahZaki Badawi Vladimir CiricEllen F. DavisMichael IpgraveMohammad Hashim KamaliFikret KarcicJohn Langan, SJBogdan LubardičMaleiha MalikAref Ali NayedMichael Nazir-AliTariq RamadanRowan WilliamsTimothy J. WinterMato Zovkic

Supplemental Materials

Awards

About the Author

The Venerable Dr. Michael Ipgrave is the Archdeacon of Southwark, Church of England.