A Common Word

Something extraordinary is happening between Muslims and Christians! One hundred and thirty eight Muslim scholars from virtually every Islamic country or region in the world, representing every major school of Islamic thought (e.g. Sunni, Shi‘i. Sufi, etc.) have invited Christians to dialogue. These Muslim scholars maintain that the common ground between Muslims and Christians centers on the commands to love God and to love our neighbor. They seek to join hands with Christians in the important work of reconciliation between our communities. This invitation is referred to as “A Common Word between Us and You” — henceforth “A Common Word.”

This kind of invitation is unprecedented in history. Clearly this is not a common word!

Because of this, the Yale Reconciliation Program has responded with the publication of “Loving God and Neighbor Together: A Christian Response to ‘A Common Word Between Us and You’” (henceforth “the Yale response”). The Yale response was featured in a full page ad in the New York Times (Nov 18, 2007) with over 300 Christian signatories (there are now over 600). On this site you will also find Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) addressing the theological and practical concerns that followers of Jesus may have about this dialogue.

I am presently serving at the Yale Reconciliation Program and will be working with its leaders to organize these future dialogues. Here are some other articles and links to help you better understand this initiative as well as other related issues:

Read why Leith Anderson, the President of the National Association of Evangelicals, signed the statement

Why I Signed the Yale Response to the Common Word: A Response to John Piper by Rick Love

Apostolic Practice in a Globalized World: Rick Love Responds to Piper by Rick Love