Islam and The West - Conflict, Co-existence or Conversion?

Islam and the West:
Conflict, Co-Existence or Conversion?
By Colin Chapman,
Paternoster. x & 198pp
ISBN 0 85364 781 X

The historical and contemporary relationship between Islam and the West has been littered with bloodshed and conflict. Colin Chapman's new book on this subject, based on a set of public lectures which he gave at All Nations Christian College in early 1996, begins on an encouraging note, as he does not launch directly into the sordid aspects of Muslim-Christian relations, but reminds us from the outset that conflict and confrontation do not tell the whole story. Indeed, 'there have been times of genuine coexistence' (p.1).
Chapter one deals with the difficult topic of the historical relationship, and carries the title 'The Legacy of History'. Given the complexities of this topic, such a title demands a detailed and even-handed assessment of both Muslim and Christian contributions to the relationship in the past. From this angle, Chapman's methodology encounters problems, for he has really set out specifically to give Christian readers a view through Muslim eyes at the history of Christian-Muslim relations. This in itself is a valid goal, as it is indeed necessary for Christians to listen to Muslim voices. How-ever the reverse is also true and the title of this chapter suggests that both viewpoints should have been examined in equal measure. This does not happen, however, and thus at the end of reading this chapter, the reader is left with the impression of having surveyed a very broad and detailed tapestry with one eye covered.

Islamic mission

Chapters two and three deal with various aspects of Islamic mission in the past and present. These chapters present a number of important perspectives, and Chapman achieves an important sense of balance when, speaking of the modern era, he says: 'there are two particular dangers to be avoided. The first is that since some Muslims want to 'convert the West', all Muslims must want the same thing. The opposite danger is for people in the West to listen only to the more liberal voices in the Muslim community, and to discount completely the missionary intentions of a proportion of the Muslim community all over the world' (p. 59). The author concludes that, in spite of vigorous effort on the part of some Muslim groups to engage in mission in the modern West, such efforts are unlikely to bear significant fruit.
In chapter four, Chapman surveys the history of specific encounters between leading representatives of Christianity and Islam, commencing in the 7th century and finishing with recent engagements between spokesmen such as Isma'il al-Faruqi and Kenneth Cragg. Chapman's survey of these encounters provides useful material for students of Christian-Muslim relations. The author is clearly uncomfortable with more polemical approaches, and he concludes this chapter by asking the rhetorical question 'Is it too much to hope that polemics can be ruled out on both sides?' (p.108).

Human rights

Chapters five, six and seven deal with key issues of the modern era: human rights, education and the established church in Britain. Here Chapman gives full voice to one of his key arguments: namely that productive dialogue is more likely to occur when Christians and Muslims jointly address issues of social concern rather than engaging in endless argument about theological subjects. The author's discussion of the question of establishment in chapter seven is of particular value. He starts by posing the question: 'What kind of relationship should there be (if any) between all the different faith communities and the state?' (p.175). He deals with the crucial question of how one is to define a Christian. Chapman correctly concludes that when addressing issues such as establishment, the Christian proportion of society should be measured along the same lines as the minority faith communities calculate their own level of adherence. By comparing like with like, Chapman identifies approximately 65% of the British population as broadly Christian. He then carefully considers the usual arguments for and against the preservation of the establishment link between the Church of England and the state. After taking account of various comments by both Christian and Muslim writers, Chapman gives his own support to continued establishment, so that religion will remain a prominent feature of public life. He provides a significant caveat in suggesting that the base of religious groups which enjoy the benefits of being established should be extended beyond the Church of England.
It must be said that the quality of this work is somewhat uneven. This is primarily due to the author having set himself very ambitious topics of research, with insufficient time and space to give some of the topics the attention which they demand. In this context, the book title itself, Islam and the West should perhaps have been more precise. Another criticism which many readers will feel relates to the choice of Muslim authors and thinkers whose writings are presented in this study. Chapman's selection of Muslim authors is weighted towards more moderate voices, many of whom are based in the West, and thus the range of Islamic comment which readers are given is somewhat skewed towards opinion which is more palatable to Western ears.
However, these comments should not be seen as detracting in any significant way from the overall value of this work. This is an important study and deserves to be widely read. Chapman is committed to facilitating communication between Muslims and Christians, and his new book represents an important step on that journey towards improved relations between these two great faiths.

Islam and The West - Conflict, Co-existence or Conversion?

Islamic mission

Human rights

Peter G. Riddell

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