Muslim-Christian Relations, 10 years after 9/11

This article - which quotes several of my friends - highlights the challenge of Christian-Muslim relations in our post-9/11 world.

There are lots of strong and different opinions on all sides of this critical issue. Personally, I see the matter - how we relate to the "different others" - as a test of faith, reflecting on the quality and nature of our faith, and the God we believe in. How are we who claim the name of Jesus doing, in reflecting His example of loving our neighbors and even our enemies?

Culture Post of the Day: "Christian Terrorism in Norway?"

Joseph Cumming, Director of the Reconciliation Program of the Center for Faith and Culture at Yale Divinity School, reflects on the recent "Christian" terrorist attack in Norway. He refers to Breivik's distinction between "religious Christianity" and "cultural Christianity," and the challenge that a "tribal" approach to Christianity poses to Christians of faith (and to our relations with others in the world).

Culture Quote of the Day - different views of God, more likely to fight?

 “...the more different the gods worshipped by various peoples, the more likely, all other things being equal, that their respective worshippers will come into conflict and the less likely that they will find peaceful resolution of conflict”

“The claim that Muslims and Christians worship radically different deities is good for fighting, but not for living together peacefully.”

Miroslav Volf, Allah: A Christian Response

I'm not sure.

Volf's book is excellent, and I agree with most of his arguments and his main points. I'm not sure, though, that I agree that there is a correlation between how different peoples' conceptions of God are, and their likelihood of experiencing conflict.

Some thoughts:
1. I wonder if closeness in concept of God may be even more of an irritant, at least in some cases. Take (at least in certain times and places) different groups of Christians, e.g., Catholic and Protestant. We're talking about the same God, or at least a fairly close conception, and yet, plenty of conflict.

2. It seems to me more significant, whether a group's concept of God is one that tends toward peace and forgiveness and peacemaking or not. E.g., Jesus teaches us to forgive, to make peace, to love our neighbors and even our enemies. Regardless of whether Muslims or anyone has a close conception of God to mine, as a follower of Jesus, I should - if I follow the teachings of Jesus - do everything possible to live in peace with those others.

On the second quote, I think that the correlation is that in times of tension (like those between Muslims and Christians, post-9/11), both communities are more likely to emphasize different concepts of God, in a knee-jerk reaction to push away those different others that they are in conflict with. One could also say (reinforcing my point #2) that the view of God of the extreme Muslims, is a violent view, and leads them to their violent actions. But their view is considered by the vast majority of Muslims to be extreme and not representative of the true teachings of Islam.

In any case, I recommend Volf's book as a good and critically important read in these days of Muslim-Christian tensions.