Langue : arabe, français ou italien selon l'ouvrage
Éditeur : Publications du CEDRAC
Many scholars have found in the records of the ancient past cherished treasures of great literary and historical worth, sociological and scientific importance, and philosophical and theological significance. The ancient manuscripts of the Near-Eastern Arab-Christian literature are a prime example. This volume presents a Muslim-Christian debate that is said to have taken place in 829. Bishop Abū Qurrah of Ḥarrān is said to have debated the Muslim elites of Qurayš, as well as other scholars from different centers of Islam. This debate boasted the presence and participation of the Caliph al-Ma’mūn. A preliminary reading of the text shows it to be rich in content with over thirty theological issues, most of which are still in need of further discussion. Among the more critical theological issues in the debate are the differences between the commandments of Jesus and the mandates in the Law of Moses, the unity of Divinity and humanity in Jesus; God's omniscience and human freedom, the impassibility and immutability of God, and Jesus’ freedom in giving up His life on the cross. Other religious-social issues emerging in the 829 debate include freedom of speech, human and angelic freedom of choice, the Qur’ān’s view of Christians, takfīr (declaring another to be an infidel, a non-Muslim), the image of paradise, and ğihād (holy war) as a way to heaven.
