Christian-Muslim Dialogue Across Cultures

Course Description

This course offers an in-depth, practice-oriented exploration of Christian–Muslim relations across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East/North Africa (MENA). It responds to the growing global need for informed, empathetic, and context-sensitive dialogue between the world’s two largest faith communities. Rather than limiting itself to abstract theological debates, the course centers on lived experience—the everyday encounters, collaborations, and challenges that shape how Christians and Muslims understand and engage with one another in real societies.

Students begin by examining foundational concepts such as interfaith dialogue, culture, identity, lived religion, and coexistence. These definitions provide a shared vocabulary for understanding how religion, culture, and social context intersect. Through readings, case studies, and field-based examples, participants discover how interfaith dialogue functions not only as a theological conversation but also as a practical tool for peacebuilding, civic participation, and social justice.

Drawing on rich case material, the course traces successful models of dialogue from across the Global South. In Africa, students study the Interfaith Mediation Centre in Nigeria—founded by former adversaries Pastor James Wuye and Imam Muhammad Ashafa—as a pioneering example of faith-based conflict resolution. They explore women’s leadership and community resilience through African case studies such as Lived Experiences of Muslims in Africa (ed. Caleb Kim) and the Kaduna Centre for the Study of Christian–Muslim Relations.

In Asia, focus shifts to Indonesia’s Leimena Institute, whose Cross-Cultural Religious Literacy (CCRL) program trains educators to promote pluralism and civic ethics, and to India’s Henry Martyn Institute, a historic center for interreligious research and reconciliation. These examples illustrate how interfaith education and community engagement can nurture inclusive citizenship and prevent extremism.

From the MENA region, students analyze institutionalized dialogue through Lebanon’s Adyan Foundation—a leader in inclusive citizenship and digital ethics—Jordan’s Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies (RIIFS), and Egypt’s Women’s Voice for Peace, which empowers women as interfaith peacebuilders. Together, these initiatives show how theological reflection, civic participation, and policy advocacy intersect in advancing coexistence.

Throughout the semester, participants reflect on how globalization, migration, and digital communication shape contemporary Christian–Muslim encounters. The course emphasizes that effective dialogue must be culturally grounded, ethically informed, and responsive to power dynamics, gender, and representation. Students learn how narrative, storytelling, and joint service projects can humanize the “other,” while also examining common pitfalls such as tokenism, superficial engagement, and imbalance of power.

Integrating theory and practice, the program culminates in applied projects that may include case-study analysis, fieldwork, policy papers, or creative reflective portfolios. These capstones encourage students to design real-world interventions—such as interfaith training modules, advocacy campaigns, or comparative legal studies on freedom of religion and belief.

By the end of the course, students will have gained not only intellectual insight but also practical competence in designing, facilitating, and sustaining interfaith initiatives across diverse cultural contexts. They will emerge prepared to serve as ethical leaders, educators, and peace practitioners capable of transforming interreligious relations through empathy, knowledge, and action.

Course Objectives

1. Foundational Understanding: To provide students with a conceptual and historical grounding in Christian–Muslim dialogue and its theological, social, and cultural dimensions.
2. Contextual Awareness: To develop the ability to analyze interfaith relations within specific regional contexts—Africa, Asia, and MENA—recognizing cultural diversity and political realities.
3. Applied Skills: To equip learners with practical tools for mediation, dialogue facilitation, and community engagement, emphasizing trust-building, gender sensitivity, and ethical leadership.
4. Critical Reflection: To foster critical awareness of power, representation, and the role of narrative in shaping perceptions between faith communities.
5. Innovative Practice: To encourage students to design and implement creative, context-appropriate strategies for interreligious cooperation, education, and policy advocacy.
6. Digital and Global Competence: To train participants in ethical digital engagement and global citizenship as integral dimensions of interfaith dialogue today.

Learning Outcomes

1. Define and apply key concepts—interfaith dialogue, coexistence, lived religion, identity, and culture—in academic and field settings.
2. Critically evaluate regional case studies, identifying contextual factors that enable or hinder dialogue between Christians and Muslims.
3. Demonstrate competence in designing and facilitating inclusive, ethical, and transformative interfaith programs at community or institutional levels.
4. Employ reflective and analytical methods to assess issues of gender, power, and representation within dialogue initiatives.
5. Integrate theoretical knowledge with lived experiences to propose innovative peacebuilding or educational interventions.
6. Use digital and communication tools responsibly to promote interfaith understanding and counter hate speech or misinformation.
7. Produce a capstone project that synthesizes academic research, ethical reflection, and practical strategy for advancing Christian–Muslim cooperation in diverse contexts.

Course Structure

Chapter 1: Introduction and Key Definitions

Chapter 2: Christian-Muslim Relations in Africa

Chapter 3: Christian-Muslim Relations in Asia

Chapter 4: Christian-Muslim Relations in the MENA Region

Chapter 5: Practical Tools and Lessons from the Field