Beyond Orientalism: Decolonizing Christian Approaches to Islam and Engagement with Muslims

This book offers a timely and critical resource for addressing the challenges of engaging Islam in contemporary academic and ecclesial contexts. It traces the liberal genealogy of Orientalism and the persistence of Islamophobia, demonstrating how these frameworks continue to shape Christian approaches to Islam and Christian–Muslim relations. By calling for the decolonization of Islamic Studies, the book urges Christians to move beyond reductive and monolithic representations of Islam and to attend seriously to the internal diversity of Islamic traditions and lived realities of Muslim societies. In doing so, it provides a historically grounded and ethically responsible framework for educators, scholars, and religious leaders seeking to cultivate a respectful understanding of Islamic traditions and meaningful relationships with Muslim communities in increasingly plural societies. Beyond Orientalism: Decolonizing Christian Approaches to Islam and Engagement with Muslims is especially relevant for scholars in Islamic Studies and inter-faith engagement who wish to reflect on the implications of post-Orientalist approaches to Islam in a global context shaped by migration, securitization, and evolving religious identities.