The Common Search for Justice and Peace —A Christian Perspective on the Theology of the Muslim Thinker Abdullah Saeed

Abstract

Many Muslim reform thinkers who ground universal human rights in Islamic traditions address questions about the nature and interpretation of the Qurʾan and rethink the traditional Islamic understanding of revelation. So does Abdullah Saeed, a Muslim theologian who teaches in Australia. His contextual approach can offer resources for peacebuilding, because it encourages Muslims to develop a dialogue-oriented attitude based on their faith and to stand up for the dignity of every human being without distinction of any kind. In his writings and in his faith, diverse search processes can be discovered. Christians can recognise these processes as valuable and develop common perspectives for dialogue. Abdullah Saeed’s theological quest also provides impulses for common human rights engagement. This practical engagement is also to be understood as an ongoing search process. The Christian-Muslim perspective developed in this article encourages us to find and use positive potential for peacebuilding, especially in situations of process and imperfection.