The 2024 Intercultural Studies Lectures

Hosted by Fuller’s School of Mission and Theology, the 2024 Intercultural Studies Lectures will offer global intercultural reflections on Islamic traditions and diverse Muslim communities. “Toward Respectful Understanding and Faithful Witness Among Muslims” will bring together scholars, activists, and practitioners from around the world to engage this vital topic for joining in God’s heart of love for all.

Islam is the second largest religion in the world and is projected to become the largest in just a few decades. As the locus of Christianity has shifted, two-thirds of Christians now live in the Global South, which is also home to 97 percent of Muslims. At the same time, globalization and immigration have brought Muslims to the Global North, where they are neighbors, colleagues, and fellow citizens. As a result, Christians and Muslims, whether in the Global South or North, must engage with one another.

Unfortunately, Christians and Muslims have frequently misunderstood each other over the centuries, leading to discrimination, violence, and even war. For example, the Crusades and European colonization of the Muslim world crippled Christian-Muslim relationships. Even in the modern era, Christian theologians have too often approached Islam as a monolithic tradition, overlooking its rich diversity and failing to contextualize the good news of Jesus within this varied and multifaceted landscape. Followers of Jesus have frequently failed to discern and participate in the Holy Spirit’s activity within Muslim communities.

Nevertheless, Fuller Theological Seminary has a rich history of approaching Islamic Studies with intellectual rigor and of engaging Muslims in a manner that reflects the love and character of Jesus Christ. This commitment to scholarship and faithful witness among Muslims is embodied by the legacy of Dr. Dudley Woodberry, a world-class Islamic scholar and dean emeritus of Fuller’s School of Intercultural Studies. Additionally, Fuller honors the memory and contributions of Dr. Evelyne Reisacher, the late associate professor of Islamic Studies and intercultural relations. Building on their legacies, we hope to foster a thoughtful and constructive conversation aimed at deepened humility and broadened understanding in the church’s witness among Muslims.

The conference will be in a hybrid format for the first day and a half, offering both in-person and online sessions, while the remaining three days will be fully online.

The Intercultural Studies Lectures will tackle the following questions:

• What is a post-Orientalist approach to Islamic Studies, and what are its implications?
• How can we engage the diversity of Muslim communities in a manner that reflects the love and character of God?
• How can Christians join with Muslims in addressing public issues of common concern, including but not limited to climate change, peacemaking, homelessness, and drug abuse?
• How do Christians and Muslims respectively understand and respond to issues of modernity, secularism, democracy, immigration, and hospitality?
• How can Christians grow in trauma-informed witness among Muslims?
• What are the differences in approach to gender between Muslims and Christians, and can there be common ground?