Apart from the Bible, no book has had as great an impact on human lives as the Qur’an. This unit will enable students to gain a general understanding of the Qur’an, its structure, context, history, message and influence, as well its distinctives in relation to the Bible, and to learn how this understanding can be applied in mission to Muslims.
Students will be introduced to varied perspectives on the Qur’an drawing from Muslim tradition, Western scholarship, and Christian engagement with the Qur’an since the beginning of Islam. One focus will be on the use of the Qur’an in mission to Muslims: students will be led to gain familiarity with a diversity of Christian approaches to the Qur’an, from polemical approaches to evangelistic techniques, as well as ‘common ground’ approaches to interfaith dialogue.

The unit will cover:

– The text of the Qur’an, its origin, message and interpretation
– The human Messenger of the Qur’an
– The function of the Qur’an in Islam
– Modern scholarship on the Qur’an
– Use of the Qur’an in apologetics, evangelism and dialogue