Orthodoxy in relation to Islam

COURSE DESCRIPTION 

The position of Islam in the history of the salvation of the world has occupied Orthodox theological thought from the 7th century till today. Orthodoxy and Islam have fourteen centuries of shared history, full of conflicts, but also of periods when both sets of believers have lived peacefully together. The basic intention of this unit is to present this religion from the point of view of an Orthodox Christian. The primary aim is to present knowledge about the history, theology, and facets of Islamic thought and to attempt to study the teachings, concepts, and expressions of Islam. There are two great periods that can be distinguished in the history of the
relations between Orthodoxy and Islam: a) from the first appearance of Islam to the collapse of Constantinople (1453); and b) from the Fall of Constantinople until today.

Orthodoxy was the first Christian dogma which, because of geographical contiguity, almost immediately faced a new belief which was called Islam, and also had to deal with its expansionist tendencies. The attitude of the Orthodox towards Islam has not always been the same. Initially, they tried to become acquainted with it, to approach it within the context of a ‘theological dialogue’, which often had to proselytize aims. Later they adopted a negative stance towards it because they were on the defensive. In the last century, the attitude of the Church towards Islam has changed again, approaches have been made through dialogues between the religions, though always under the threat of Islamic fundamentalism.