Building Respect, Seeking Truth
History of Muslim-Christian Dialogue 1: 7th - 14th centuries
Sept 15th - Nov 26th 2026
Course leaders: Dr. Martin Whittingham, Dr. Sam Nwokoro
On Tuesdays, 11:00 am Nigerian time (WAT, West Africa Time, UTC+1)
This 3 credit hour course will have classes on Thursdays at 0800-1000 Houston time. Students will be expected to spend 4-6 hours per week in private study and group study. The out-of-class work will be at least as important as the in-class work. Each student will be expected to make a class presentation. Students taking this course for credit will also be required to take a short-answer quiz and to write a 4,000 word essay.
The course cost is $400, reduced to $150 for majority world students.
Students who wish to obtain CMCS Houston credit for this course are usually required to do the first four modules of our 'Research and Writing for Muslim & Christian Studies' prior to the start of the course. This course may be begun at any time - students are advised to begin as soon as possible.
CMCS Houston has some full and half-scholarships available. To apply for a scholarship, email a letter of application together with your c.v. and contact details of two referees to office@cmcshouston.org.
This course introduces students to the long history of Christians and Muslims writing about each other and discussing with each other, using both focused study of primary sources and broader readings and lectures on different historical periods.
Tutorials can (1) address any questions that students may have (2) probe students’ engagement with the primary texts and their contexts and/or (3) do some preliminary discussion of the questions set for written assignments.
Aims
This course introduces students to the riches of history which can enable them
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to understand how current Muslim-Christian dialogue fits into the history of Muslim-Christian relations
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to discern the various factors which determine the nature of Muslim-Christian dialogue in any given context
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to learn from the historical engagements and their results
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to deal with current contentious issues by discussing how previous people have dealt with them
Objectives
Students will be able to
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Distinguish between primary and secondary sources.
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Read primary sources with reference to their historical and inter-religious contexts.
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Trace the development of some key themes which have been discussed by Muslims and Christians over the centuries.
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Produce an in-depths account of at least one historical example of Muslim-Christian Dialogue
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Reflect on how historical encounters have affected current thinking, and on what can be learnt for future dialogue
Specialist lecturers will include:
Dr David Coffey (CMCS Houston)
Dr David Cook (Rice University, Houston)
Dr Helen Flatley (University of Oxford)
Dr Jon Hoover (University of Nottingham)
Dr Matthew Minerd (Byzantine Catholic Seminary of SS Philip and Methodius)
Dr Ghaith al-Quda (Al al-Bayt University, Jordan)
September 15th: Early Christian Responses to Islam 1: John of Damascus
September 22nd: Early Christian Responses to Islam 2: 'On the Triune Nature of God'
September 29th: Muslim Voices in Spain 1: Guest lecturer Dr Helen Flatley: al-Andalus
October 6th: Muslim Voices in Spain 2: Ibn Ḥazm and al-Bājī.
October 13th : BREAK
October 20th: The Crusade Period
October 27th: A Key Muslim thinker: Ibn Rushd (d. 1198)
November 3rd: A Key Christian thinker: Thomas Aquinas (d. 1274)
November 10th: Exchanges in Arabic 1: Paul of Antioch and the Letter from Cyprus
November 17th: Exchanges in Arabic 2: Guest Lecturer Dr Jon Hoover: Ibn Taymiyya
November 24th: Course Review
Students give class presentations on each topic
You will find this one of the best courses for building respect and seeking truth in today’s world.
Naseer John, Pakistan
This is a rich course with amazing content, rich resources and great teachers.
Tahmina Maryam, Bangladesh
Ideas and questions are discussed in small groups
The Muslim-Christian Dialogue discourse which I studied during the online course will help us craft a new course for our seminarians on Muslim-Christian Dialogue, to promote tolerance among the would be ministers.
Simbarashe Munamati, Murray Theological College, Zimbabwe
Don’t do it unless you enjoy the subject being offered and can be sincerely and fully engaged and devoted. . . . . I’m a self-proclaimed nerd and loved every second of discussion, lecture, presentation, and reading.
Usmon Shaikh, University of Houston
The course is very practical and relevant for the contemporary situation. It opens a window where students can express their opinions - not polemically but in a peaceful environment. Students may have different opinions, but respect towards each other is carefully maintained.
Sujit Sarker, ICL, Bangladesh
I think, this course will serve as a mile stone for those students who are interested in the history of Muslim-Christian Dialogue.
Urfa John, Forman Christian College, Pakistan