Synopsis
In The New Testament: An Islamic Perspective, the author compares the New Testament stories of Mary, Jesus, and others with the brief notices about them in the Quran and the fuller stories in a representative medieval Quranic Commentary, that of the Sunni Muslim, Surabadi. The stories are examined in detail from a Muslim point of view, and the differences between the traditional Christian and the Islamic forms explored, as well as the reasons for such differences. The book becomes a journey through the literature and history of the Classical world in search of Jesus and his principal interpreter, Paul. Going beyond the familiar Biblical stories, it ventures into unfamiliar pagan and non-canonical Christian writings, often with surprising results. The analysis of the stories themselves is preceded by an extensive Introduction examining the credentials of the basic Islamic and Biblical documents of the study, including a detailed examination of modern theories about the textual history and development of the New Testament, of particular importance for the reader interested in comparative religion. The many topics discussed in this volume include: oral literature, Roman Palestine and its Jewish sects, the gospels and the New Testament canon, extra-Biblical writings, John the Baptist, the Trinity, Mariolatry, the Nativity, the nature of the Messiah, the Passion, the Paraclete, Armageddon, and even St. George and the Dragon. Much space is devoted to a thorough review of the crucial role of Paul in the development of modern Christianity, together with his conversion, his relations with the Disciples (especially James and Peter), and the controversies over circumcision and the Mosaic Law. The New Testament: An Islamic Perspective is a valuable resource for furthering interfaith dialogue and understanding. A glossary and extensive Bibliographies are included.
About the Author
Jay R. Crook (Md. Nur) was born in upstate New York, the second son of a clergman, but spent his formative years in the New York metropolitan area. A chance acquaitance awakened his interest in Islamic culture and civilization, and he soon embraced Islam. After completing his military service and saving some money, he traveled to East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) to study for a few years. He wound up spending most of his working life in the Middle East, especially in Iran and Saudi Arabia. Hired by the Peace Corps as a field representative, he finished in 1971 as Deputy Director in the Iran program. He then enrolled in the Doctoral Program of Persian Literature for Foreigners at Tehran University and received his Ph.D. in 1978. His doctoral thesis was A Comparison of the Quranic Stories of Surabadi With the Bible. Much revised and expanded, it has become the core of The New Testament: an Islamic Perspective and its companion volume The Old Testament: an Islamic Perspective. Subsequent to leaving Iran in 1980, he worked as an English teacher in the U.S. and Saudi Arabia before retiring in 1997. He now resides in the American Southwest and has translated several books from Persian into English, including Kashifi s The Royal Book of Spiritual Chivalry and Ghazzali s The Alchemy of Happiness.
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