Accepting the Other

Written by the eminent Syrian Orthodox Metropolitan of Aleppo, Accepting the Other offers an eloquent and alternative perspective to the question of religious co-existence and the so-called ‘Clash of Civilizations.’ Bishop Gregorios’ book begins with an historical overview of the presence of Christians in the Middle East and their rich cultural contributions to the region, stretching back to the days of the Roman Empire and discusses the Islamic conquests and the Crusades from the little-heard yet extremely important Middle Eastern Christian perspective; he also offers examples of Christian-Muslim co-existence and discusses the question of citizenship. Bishop Gregorios then moves to the question of dialogue, discussing whether it is desirable and discussing in greater detail Christian-Muslim co-existence, the things shared by Christianity and Islam, and Christian-Muslim dialogue in Syria. In the context of the question of religious co-existence, he offers a special and in-depth look at the month of Ramadan and its importance as a time of fasting, mercy, peace and love. Later chapters in the book discuss the ecumenical efforts at inter-religious dialogue spearheaded by John-Paul II as well as the question of Iran and the Islamic Revolution as well as Palestine and the issue of martyrdom and the Intifada. This book will be essential reading for anyone interested in the question of Christian-Muslim co-existence in the twenty-first century and for all those concerned with moving beyond the facile civilizational pronouncements of talk radio and cable television.