It is unusual these days to scan the pages of a major newspaper without seeing some reference to Islam and Christianity, and the relationship between these two faiths.
So as Christians and Muslims increasingly come into contact in diverse circumstances across the world, we would do well to pause and consider the central ingredients for the relationship between the two, and different responses being produced.
The texts
An examination of the Islamic texts quickly shows that the two faiths have much in common, in areas such as their understanding of a transcendent God, prayer, prophets, angels, charity and a range of other beliefs. However, a key area of difference poses a substantial hurdle, namely the respective views of the Cross, a concept which lies at the very heart of Christian belief.
