The Calls of Kairos and Islam

The greatest challenge to Christianity during the second half of the twentieth century emerged from liberation theologies and specifically from the point of view of pitting the Christian faith against the most despicable conditions of inhumanity. Oppressive contexts and conditions gave rise to deep reflection on what it means to be a Christian in situations where Christians oppress fellow Christians. The negative goal of Muslim-Christian relations requires looking into both religious traditions to see how the messages of Islam and Christianity have been misappropriated and distorted to serve the interests of the powerful. The positive goal will be to rediscover the emancipatory functions of Islam and Christianity in the midst of history and culture, and direct the resultant awareness to serve present and future objectives of Muslim-Muslim, Christian-Christian and Muslim-Christian relations.