Awards

• Commended for IndieFab awards (Religion) 2009
• Runner-up for Book of the Year Award in Religion, ForeWord Magazine 2009 (United States)
• Winner of Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award: Religion, Silver Medal 2009 (United States)

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9780268022143

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Reviews

Gregory Baum is a gift to the Church, and indeed to the world. A stalwart of the Vatican II era, he is now an eminence grise of North American Christianity in its efforts to engage the secular world through a confident and critical dialogue about meaning. In this remarkable and pioneering volume, he engages contemporary Islam through a typically generous reading of one of its most influential theologians, Tariq Ramadan. Avoiding the often silly but sometimes brutal polemics that have obscured the quality of Ramadan's reformist thought, Baum notes the striking affinities between Islam's and Catholicism's respective encounters with democracy, religious freedom, and critical reading of sacred sources, among other contested issues. Having absorbed the deepest insights of Catholics' recent revolution in self-understanding--a revolution he helped to stimulate and advance--this unofficial, quietly charismatic ambassador of Christian intellectual innovation has provided invaluable insight into the mind of the person who has been termed the 'Muslim Martin Luther.' Baum, as he has in the past, is pointing the way forward for innovative and serious theological work; in the opening of sustained dialogue and conversation with the contemporary current of Islamic reform represented by figures like Ramadan, he rightly sees an opportunity for a renewal of Catholic theology in its service to the cause of reconciliation and peace. -- Scott Appleby Baum sees himself as uniquely sensitive to Ramadan's efforts to articulate his religious tradition in a secular context. . . . [H]e describes with great sympathy Ramadan's place as a reformist Muslim who opposes literalists on one side and liberals on the other. . . . Ultimately, Baum should be admired for his well-meaning effort to enter into conversation with Ramadan. Christians generally should indeed be exhorted to study Islam with sympathy. --First Things In his 'dialogue' with Tariq Ramadan, Baum examines the latter's work within an interfaith perspective, drawing parallels between Islamic and Catholic encounters with modernity. He argues that reform and renewal are compatible in both Islam and Catholicism. --Islamic Horizons Baum's study is a timely, thorough, and careful introduction to Ramadan's thought. The book will be welcomed by readers within the Islamic and Christian traditions and can bring needed understanding to ecumenical dialogue. Baum gives us a careful presentation and analysis of Ramadan's thought on some of the most important and complex issues concerning the practices of Islam in modern times . . . a good place to start to learn more about Ramadan's work and about Islam itself. --The Ecumenist With his favorable reading of Ramadan's theology, Baum intends to enter into a fruitful dialogue. The many affinities between Islam and Catholicism's attempts at enculturation warrant such a dialogue. As a socialist and theologian, Baum sees religion as a powerful factor in the making or unmaking of society. The dialogue between Islam and Christianity is crucial today. This book offers much valuable material for such dialogue. --Catholic Library World . . . an intriguing analysis of one of the most interesting Muslim scholars now working, Ramadan, though often mired in controversy, essentially locates himself between traditionalist Muslims who would like nothing to change and to have little to do with modernity and those Muslims who pretty much want to throw over traditional Islam as a way of accommodating the religion to modernity. . . . For any Christian seeking to get a better grasp of the dynamics of Islamic scholarship these days, this book is a must. -- Faith Matters Weblog by Bill Tammeus In his 'dialogue' with Tariq Ramadan, Baum examines the latter's work within an interfaith perspective, drawing parallels between Islamic and Catholic encounters with modernity. He argues that reform and renewal are compatible in both Islam and Catholicism. --Islamic Horizons Baum s study is a timely, thorough, and careful introduction to Ramadan s thought. The book will be welcomed by readers within the Islamic and Christian traditions and can bring needed understanding to ecumenical dialogue. Baum gives us a careful presentation and analysis of Ramadan s thought on some of the most important and complex issues concerning the practices of Islam in modern times . . . a good place to start to learn more about Ramadan s work and about Islam itself. The Ecumenist With his favorable reading of Ramadan s theology, Baum intends to enter into a fruitful dialogue. The many affinities between Islam and Catholicism s attempts at enculturation warrant such a dialogue. As a socialist and theologian, Baum sees religion as a powerful factor in the making or unmaking of society. The dialogue between Islam and Christianity is crucial today. This book offers much valuable material for such dialogue. Catholic Library World . . . an intriguing analysis of one of the most interesting Muslim scholars now working, Ramadan, though often mired in controversy, essentially locates himself between traditionalist Muslims who would like nothing to change and to have little to do with modernity and those Muslims who pretty much want to throw over traditional Islam as a way of accommodating the religion to modernity. . . . For any Christian seeking to get a better grasp of the dynamics of Islamic scholarship these days, this book is a must. Faith Matters Weblog by Bill Tammeus In his dialogue with Tariq Ramadan, Baum examines the latter s work within an interfaith perspective, drawing parallels between Islamic and Catholic encounters with modernity. He argues that reform and renewal are compatible in both Islam and Catholicism. Islamic Horizons With his favorable reading of Ramadan's theology, Baum intends to enter into a fruitful dialogue. The many affinities between Islam and Catholicism's attempts at enculturation warrant such a dialogue. As a socialist and theologian, Baum sees religion as a powerful factor in the making or unmaking of society. The dialogue between Islam and Christianity is crucial today. This book offers much valuable material for such dialogue. -- Catholic Library World In his 'dialogue' with Tariq Ramadan, Baum examines the latter's work within an interfaith perspective, drawing parallels between Islamic and Catholic encounters with modernity. He argues that reform and renewal are compatible in both Islam and Catholicism. -- Islamic Horizons . . . an intriguing analysis of one of the most interesting Muslim scholars now working, Ramadan, though often mired in controversy, essentially locates himself between traditionalist Muslims who would like nothing to change and to have little to do with modernity and those Muslims who pretty much want to throw over traditional Islam as a way of accommodating the religion to modernity. . . . For any Christian seeking to get a better grasp of the dynamics of Islamic scholarship these days, this book is a must. -- Faith Matters Weblog by Bill Tammeus Baum's study is a timely, thorough, and careful introduction to Ramadan's thought. The book will be welcomed by readers within the Islamic and Christian traditions and can bring needed understanding to ecumenical dialogue. Baum gives us a careful presentation and analysis of Ramadan's thought on some of the most important and complex issues concerning the practices of Islam in modern times . . . a good place to start to learn more about Ramadan's work and about Islam itself. -- The Ecumenist

Baum sees himself as uniquely sensitive to Ramadan's efforts to articulate his religious tradition in a secular context. . . . [H]e describes with great sympathy Ramadan's place as a reformist Muslim who opposes literalists on one side and liberals on the other. . . . Ultimately, Baum should be admired for his well-meaning effort to enter into conversation with Ramadan. Christians generally should indeed be exhorted to study Islam with sympathy. --First Things In his 'dialogue' with Tariq Ramadan, Baum examines the latter's work within an interfaith perspective, drawing parallels between Islamic and Catholic encounters with modernity. He argues that reform and renewal are compatible in both Islam and Catholicism. --Islamic Horizons

Baum sees himself as uniquely sensitive to Ramadan's efforts to articulate his religious tradition in a secular context. . . . [H]e describes with great sympathy Ramadan's place as a reformist Muslim who opposes literalists on one side and liberals on the other. . . . Ultimately, Baum should be admired for his well-meaning effort to enter into conversation with Ramadan. Christians generally should indeed be exhorted to study Islam with sympathy. -First Things In his 'dialogue' with Tariq Ramadan, Baum examines the latter's work within an interfaith perspective, drawing parallels between Islamic and Catholic encounters with modernity. He argues that reform and renewal are compatible in both Islam and Catholicism. -Islamic Horizons

Gregory Baum is a gift to the Church, and indeed to the world. A stalwart of the Vatican II era, he is now an eminence grise of North American Christianity in its efforts to engage the secular world through a confident and critical dialogue about meaning. In this remarkable and pioneering volume, he engages contemporary Islam through a typically generous reading of one of its most influential theologians, Tariq Ramadan. Avoiding the often silly but sometimes brutal polemics that have obscured the quality of Ramadan's reformist thought, Baum notes the striking affinities between Islam's and Catholicism's respective encounters with democracy, religious freedom, and critical reading of sacred sources, among other contested issues. Having absorbed the deepest insights of Catholics' recent revolution in self-understanding--a revolution he helped to stimulate and advance--this unofficial, quietly charismatic ambassador of Christian intellectual innovation has provided invaluable insight into the mind of the person who has been termed the 'Muslim Martin Luther.' Baum, as he has in the past, is pointing the way forward for innovative and serious theological work; in the opening of sustained dialogue and conversation with the contemporary current of Islamic reform represented by figures like Ramadan, he rightly sees an opportunity for a renewal of Catholic theology in its service to the cause of reconciliation and peace. -- Scott Appleby

Author Information

Gregory Baum, professor emeritus at McGill University and the founding editor of The Ecumenist, is the author of many books, including Signs of the Times: Religious Pluralism and Economic Injustice and Religion and Alienation.

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