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The continual rise and influence of Islam throughout the world is foundation for Christians of every nation-state to better equip themselves for the glorious task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace to their Muslim neighbors. Absolutely, relations between Christianity and Islam constitute an essential issue high on the itinerary of the present-day world. Although crusading was not only responsible for the weakening of relations between Christianity and Islam in the central Middle Ages, it made a considerable and distinctive contribution toward it. As a significant part of culture, religion is of profound importance to peoples’ identities. Religion bears the internal ethical norms of a culture and shapes how individuals and the communities understand moral rules. Considering the diversity of religious expressions, it has always been of the utmost importance to establish and develop intercultural relations. Throughout human history the dialogues between cultures have been progressing, linking the representatives of various cultural environments and fostering cultural exchange.

Handbook on Crusades, Christianity, and Islam provides an exploration of some of the essential aspects of Crusades, Christianity, and Islam to understand more deeply their own respective traditions and on this basis to understand and respect ‘the other’. This book will compare the theology of suffering/theodicy in Islam, Christianity and Judaism to determine if Christianity has a unique theology of suffering that responds more effectively to the human condition. An analysis of how Islam is currently operating and growing globally is presented to ground the aforementioned historical and theological investigation into the present realities of a sampling of nations. Islamic scholars often attempt to compare the medieval Christian crusades against modern Islamic jihad, with later Muslim writers depicting the crusades as a ‘Christian jihad’ against Muslim lands and peoples. There are current veins of Islamic thought that Christian crusades are still being waged against Muslims. This book will appeal to students and scholars dealing with Islam and Christianity.