No Peace without Prayer Encouraging Muslims and Christians to Pray Together; A Benedictine Approach

Recent popes have called upon Catholics to get to know, understand, and respect Islam. All this in order to be better Catholics and partners in the future. Abbot Timothy received a commission from the Abbot President of all Benedictines to bring together people who were already in dialogue and friendship. This book amplifies his journey and the providential spiritual and cultural baggage he brought with him. It is a fascinating trip.

The book is based on his doctoral thesis about a new way of transcending the apparent chasm between those seeking God by contrasting paths. He proposes a community founded for a dialogue of spiritualties-Muslim and Christian. He kindly breaks his proposal out into thirty-six chapters, with clear titles, and thus the reader can pick and choose between the practical steps and the deeper contemplative traditions in each tradition.

The challenges to a peaceful future in our world are obvious. Abbot Timothy ha s essayed an imaginative step forward, based on his own experience and extensive contacts with unobtrusive dialogue groups in both hemispheres.

Abbot Timothy proposes sowing a small seed from which might grow a greater respect between the world's two largest religions, Christianity and Islam. Indeed, he believes that the seed has already been planted. Christians give unique value to their revealed Scriptures as the "Word of God." Muslims speak of the Qur'an as God speaking to them. In No Peace without Prayer, Wright presents the case for developing this faith in the Word of God to establish groups of Christians and Muslims dedicated to sharing their respective "Divine Word" in ways that enhance the "other." This is not a tussle for converts but a way into greater mutual understanding-under the eye of the God who communicates this Word-to create a new shared memory. Such is a work of prayer, a prayer that could lead to greater peace. The key word, says Wright, is partnership, arising from their shared belief in the One God, creator of the universe, communicating with the human world and merciful t the repentant.

[No Peace without Prayer] concludes with a summary of qualities helpful to persons preparing to enter Muslim-Christian dialogue and offers practical suggestions for organizing an interreligious prayer group. The range of issues covered by the author makes the book of interest not only to Benedictines but to all persons interested in promoting better relations between the adherents of two of the world's major religions.

The book is clearly written and accessible. It can serve as a good introduction for beginners to the beliefs and spirituality of Muslims in comparison to those of Christians. It is also something of a "how to" book on interfaith dialogue, offering practical tips on how to start up a dialogue of spirituality, and even how to conduct such a series of encounters.

The strength of this book lies in the lived experience of the Author. His own experience of dialogue and deep prayer life informs his discussion on every page. This book reminds us of the importance of spiritual practices because as we deepen our experience of the love of God, we become increasingly open to listen to and be touched by those in other faith traditions who carry with them a similar experience of the love of God. The book provides a path to dialogue and inspires hope for a better relationship between Muslims and Christians that might become a foundation for building peace in the world.

This is a delightful and comprehensive book written not only out of scholarly reflection and study but also very much from the vantage point of lived dialogical experience. It advocates Christian–Muslim dialogue and engages with a particular dialogical modality with authority and integrity, displaying intimate familiarity with the resources and possibilities that may be found in both Islam and Christianity, while it clearly, and appropriately, speaks specifically out of and into Christian engagement in this dialogue.