Death, Resurrection, and Human Destiny

Contrary to popular opinion, the death of Christian-Muslim dialogue is greatly exaggerated! This record of the eleventh Building Bridges seminar demonstrates the vitality of serious Muslim and Christian engagement over matters of shared interest and concern, particularly over matters of life and death. The chapters in this work are academically sound and the personal reflections intimately profound. This volume demonstrates that it is extremely valuable and possible to build lasting and intimate relationships between Christians and Muslims, and that there is much to be gained through steady and sustained encounters as a continuing process. -- David D. Grafton, professor of Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations, The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia

A collection of essays, scriptural analysis, and personal reflections featuring leading Christian and Muslim scholars who explore the meaning of death, resurrection, and human destiny within their religious traditions.Death, Resurrection, and Human Destiny: Christian and Muslim Perspectives is a record of the 2012 Building Bridges seminar for leading Christian and Muslim scholars, convened by Rowan Williams, then Archbishop of Canterbury. The essays in this volume explore what the Bible and Qur n-and the Christian and Islamic theological traditions-have to say about death, resurrection, and human destiny. Special attention is given to the writings of al-Ghazali and Dante. Other essays explore the notion of the good death. Funeral practices of each tradition are explained. Relevant texts are included with commentary, as are personal reflections on death by several of the seminar participants. An account of the informal conversations at the seminar conveys a vivid sense of the lively, penetrating, but respectful dialogue which took place. Three short pieces by Rowan Williams provide his opening comments at the seminar and his reflections on its proceedings. The volume also contains an analysis of the Building Bridges Seminar after a decade of his leadership.