Events of recent years have exacerbated mutual suspicion, fear and misunderstanding between Christians and Muslims. Yet Jesus Christ set in motion a unity that knows no boundaries; he broke all barriers. We must think beyond the present walls of the church to move forward. The issues dealt with in this timely book demonstrate God’s divine embrace, providing a bridge in the gap.”
- the late Archbishop Desmond M. Tutu
At a time when Islamaphobia has gripped many Western Christians, Paul G. Chandler shows what Christians and Muslims have often been, and can today still be: in a ‘clasp’ rather than a ‘clash’ of civilizations. Never has a book like this been more timely, or more necessary.
- William Dalrymple, historian & author (The Anarchy, The Last Mughal, Return of a King and The Anarchy)
An important and exciting introduction to Mazhar Mallouhi’s life and teachings. I commend this book to all who wish to understand Islam.
- Lord Carey, 103rd Archbishop of Canterbury
This very timely book is a must for anyone who would wish to understand Muslim/Christian dialogue. Mazhar Mallouhi has a unique insight which has largely been gained through personal suffering. He has much to teach us.
- Terry Waite, CBE, former envoy for the Archbishop of Canterbury, hostage negotiator, author
“Pilgrims of Christ on the Muslim Road” presents the story of the conversion of Mazhar Mallouhi, a Syrian, by exploring his Arab Muslim background and his exile and travels in many countries in North America and the Arab world. Mazhar’s own voice comes through in the interview section, which is the last chapter of the book. Described as a man of letters and a child of many cultures, Mazhar Mallouhi offers important insights on Christianity among the Arabs as well as on issues of faith and community. His story is an object lesson on the religious principle in intercultural relations.
- the late Lamin Sanneh, former D. Willis James Professor of World Christianity, Yale Divinity School; Professor of History, Yale University
“More and more of us are waking up to our calling to be followers (or disciples) of Jesus, not simply adherents to a form of the Christian religion. For disciples today, that rediscovered identity is exciting, liberating, sometimes disconcerting, unpredictable, barrier-bridging, and wild – just as it was for the original disciples. Paul G. Chandler's beautiful new book introduces us to a living example of what this way of life can look like in our contemporary world. Pilgrims of Christ on the Muslim Road is inspiring, timely, potentially controversial, and desperately needed”.
- Brian McLaren, author/activist
Mazhar Mallouhi is a unique example of courage and a determined witness for truth. His life is among those of the first followers of Christ who risked their lives for him and for the salvation of their people. What Paul G. Chandler has done with the writing of this book is a strong and inspirational act of faith. They are birds of the same feather and they fly together.
- Archbishop Emerita Elias Chacour, former Melkite Catholic Archbishop of Galilee and the Holy Land, Nobel Peace Prize nominee and author of Blood Brothers
Following Christ within Islam? As Paul G. Chandler shows, the idea is neither absurd nor impossible. In his timely, refreshing and often surprising book, Chandler seeks to break down the seemingly enormous barriers that divide Christians from Muslims, and in the process offers a potent manifesto for waging peace on Islam. I hope the book finds a very wide readership.
- Philip Jenkins, Distinguished Professor of History at Baylor, Co-Director for the Program on Historical Studies of Religion in the Institute for Studies of Religion
That Christians and Muslims don’t understand one another is an understatement. Paul G. Chandler knows both groups in detail and first hand. He pushes the rubble of stereotypes to the sidelines and in the cleared space tells the story of the novelist Mazhar Mallouhi, well known in the Arab world. Incredibly, understanding emerges. This book couldn’t be more timely.
- the late Eugene Peterson, author & Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Theology, Regent College, Vancouver, BC
I consider this an important book. What a life Mazhar Mallouhi has lived! He stands in an almost singular position as a bridge between two worlds which, alas, seem to be separated by an ever-increasing divide.
- Philip Yancey, author
At a time when the political stakes are so high in the confrontation between some Muslims and the West, Christians desperately need to find new ways of thinking about Muslims and Islam. In this context, Mallouhi, a Syrian who describes himself as ‘a Muslim follower of Christ’, and Chandler, an American Christian, form a powerful and creative partnership. This book therefore has a highly significant message about Christians relating to Muslims all over the world today.
- The Rev. Colin Chapman, Anglican priest, Islamic scholar and author of Whose Promised Land and Cross and Crescent
I was profoundly moved. This book is unique in presenting the way of Christ through the lens of an influential Muslim writer’s life. Mazhar Mallouhi, a Syrian Jesus-follower who remains within his Islamic culture, exemplifies in his own life a startling model of God’s forgiving and embracing love. Though his life has been crowded with difficulty and persecution, Mallouhi has influenced the lives of tens of thousands through his books and his personal presence. As well as presenting the many-colored quilt of diversity in belief and practice among Muslims, Chandler shows us the God of “irregularities” and surprises, who works transformatively outside our established systems and strategies, bridging cultural barriers to convince us of the wideness of his mercy.
- Luci Shaw, poet, author and Writer-in-Residence, Regent College
A fascinating and stimulating book about the life and work of Syrian novelist Mazhar Mallouhi. Relatively unknown in the English-speaking world, Mallouhi considers himself a 'Sufi Muslim follower of Christ'; he accepts Christ and Christian ideas without jettisoning his origins in Islam. . . . Chandler's book uses Mallouhi to ask new questions about Eastern and Western interpretations of Christianity and goes a long way toward fostering multicultural understanding as it restores 'Eastern-ness' to the image of Jesus. Highly recommended.
- Library Journal
What is the true Christianity? Pilgrims of Christ on the Muslim Road helps answer that question. Innovative, readable and timely, it also suggests a way that East and West can be bridged.
- Reader Views