DESCRIPTION
A well-thought-out Christian plea for interreligious unityDiscussing the Bible and the Qur'an in one breath will surprise some Jews, Christians, and Muslims. But Anton Wessels argues that all three traditions must read the Scriptures
together and not
against each other. As his book title suggests, the three books, in the end, are actually one tale.
Wessels accepts Muhammad as a prophet and takes the Qur'an seriously as Holy Scripture along with the Old and New Testaments -- without giving up his own Christian convictions. Respectfully reading the Torah, the Gospel, and the Qur'an together, he argues, is of crucial importance: our world often sees these religious books as the cause of conflicts rather than the solution to them.
REVIEWS
Charles Amjad-Ali
-- Luther Seminary
"Only an erudite, excellent, and critical scholar like Anton Wessels could have brought such seemingly disparate elements together in such a brilliant and enlightening way. . . . This coherent tour de force invites us to reevaluate our perspectives on truth, history, revelation, and even the divine. As always, Wessels opens up new vistas. I recommend this timely and pertinent book to anyone interested in a peaceful and just world. It is intellectually stimulating and one of the most hopeful books in our current polarized context."
Heidi Hadsell
-- Hartford Seminary
"A remarkable, helpful resource for reading the Torah, the Gospel, and the Qur'an in relation to each other focused on central questions that arise in each. . . . The reader will learn a lot about Qur'anic and biblical texts and their contexts and will have to rethink some basic assumptions about his or her religious tradition, particularly pertaining to its relationship with the other religious traditions `of the book.' This is just the kind of thought and conversation that we sorely need today in order to build constructive and peaceful relationships across our religious boundaries."
Anvil
"This book is a model of respectful interfaith conversation. Wessels does not seek to denigrate, or score points to defend Christianity at a cost to either Islam of Judaism. His central concern is to look for points of common connection, areas of mutual understanding and potential respect for each other. . . . An absorbing and stimulating read, and I would high recommend it."
Spirit & Life
"A useful resource for interreligious dialogue. . . . It provides a way to grow in understanding and respect of other faiths as well in knowledge of one's own."
Christian Century
"In this daring and wide-ranging work, Anton Wessels interprets the scriptures of the Abrahamic religions as presenting a single narrative common to a united Judeo-Christian-Islamic tradition."
Choice (American Library Association)
"Wessels can offer a unique vision of a unity of message common to these three communities of faith — a vision that encourages his readers to view each community as a source of hope in the face of human conflict. Recommended."