Educational Media Reviews Online

These videos succeed admirably in their effort to raise the level of understanding between Muslim and non-Muslim. Fair-minded representatives speak to the similarities and differences between Islam and Christianity. The videos can be viewed in any order, and each can stand on its own if an instructor decides not to use the whole set. The titles do not match up exactly with the contents, so I will give a quick summary of each disc.

Islam and its Five Pillars (28 minutes) may be the best place to begin. It opens with Dr. Timothy George of the Beeson Divinity School visiting Jerusalem, and reflecting on his faith's injunction to "pray for the peace of Jerusalem." His commitment to Christianity, coupled with his respect for Islam, set the tone for everything that follows. After a brief introduction to Islam's presence in North America, Dr. Amina Wadud and Dr. Ibrahim Kalin introduce the Five Pillars of their religion.

The Role of the Prophet Muhammad (27 minutes) discusses not just Muhammad, but also the place of scripture in each religion.

The Quran, the Bible, and the Torah (30 minutes) addresses some of the major doctrines of Christianity and Islam's response to them (various passages in the Quran explicitly critique certain Christian doctrines). This is a fascinating presentation of their differences over the Trinity, the role of the Messiah (both religions regard Jesus as Messiah), the Crucifixion, and the theology of salvation. This disc is not to be missed, and is valuable for advanced as well as beginning students.

The technical quality is great. These videos have little in the way of exciting footage, yet they remain interesting. Much of the time is devoted to interviews. The speakers present a lot of information in a direct and succinct fashion, and art and textual passages help illustrate certain points. Viewers also see an American mosque. I noticed only one error, when the "Immaculate Conception" was used to refer to the conception of Jesus, rather than the conception of Mary.

No effort was made to minimize the differences between the two religions, yet each speaker was unfailingly fair to the other side. The speakers were not in one another's presence - the interviews were separate - but it's clear from how often they echoed each other that none would have objected to anything the others had to say. These excellent videos model the respectful dialogue we need while providing the factual knowledge necessary to begin it.

Highly Recommended for classes on Islam, Christianity, or the history of either.