Gospels in the Context of Islam

Reading the Gospels in the context of Islam

As part of the 'Reading the Bible in the Context of Islam' project led by Ida Glaser at the Centre for Muslim-Christian Studies, Oxford, a three-day conference heard papers around the theme of interpretation of the New Testament gospels in Islamic contexts. Selected papers have been edited by Drs Georgina Jardim, Shirin Shafaie and Ida Glaser and will appear as a volume in the ‘Routledge Reading the Bible in Islamic Context’ series early in 2024.

Explore the post-conference reading group on the Sermon on the Mount

We invited papers exploring different aspects of how the canonical gospels have been, are, and can be interpreted in Islamic contexts.

Themes include:

• Muslim references to the gospels in classical literature

• How the gospels are interpreted in current Muslim-Christian dialogue and debate

• Questions relating to translation of the gospels in Muslim majority languages

• Fresh readings of the gospels ‘in conversation with’ the Qur’an and other Islamic literature

• The use of the gospels by Christian minorities in their relationships with Muslims in particular contexts

• Responses of Muslim readers to the gospels

‘Routledge Reading the Bible in Islamic Context’ is a ground-breaking series edited by Ida Glaser and Shabbir Akhtar, the first volume of which, ‘Routledge Reading the Bible in Islamic Context: Qur’anic conversations’ rose out of a conference in September 2015. The series focusses on the interpretation of the Bible and of particular biblical books and themes either from an Islamic perspective or from the perspective of Bible readers situated in, or otherwise ‘in conversation with,’ Islamic contexts. Since the Qur’an is present in all Islamic contexts, intertextual reading between the Qur’an and the Bible is an important feature of the series.

Some agenda-setting papers

What is the Gospel mentioned in the Qur'an?

Martin Whittingham

Transforming Prophethood: reading the transfiguration alongside Islamic Texts

Ida Glaser

An Islamic Commentary on Galatians: a Muslim philosopher reads Paul

Shabbir Akhtar

Muslim views of the Bible: past and present

CMCS Oxford Research Briefing No. 2