In the first half of the assigned piece today, Howard problematizes what appears to be a blithely reductive and optimistic perspective on the similarity and theological compatibility of Islam and Christianity. He states that the interactions between the two sides often have been reduced to polemical characterizations of the other and triumphalist portrayals of one’s own faith. This is especially the case regarding the anthropology of each faith in relation to God. Although much of the anthropological debate that has happened between the two sides has been reliant upon polemical caricatures, it does not appear that the two anthropologies are particularly well-suited for compatibility with one another.
One possible point of compatibility, however, is mentioned by Howard on page 326, which is the mutual critique of anthropocentrism in modern society and the unraveling of the framework which Charles Taylor called the “Great disembedding” in 2007 (326). The dissociation of the individual from community, the community from cosmos, and the cosmos from God has created room for the glorification of the individual, causing humans to usurp God’s place as the object of all worship and admiration. This turning of the world on its head has been unwelcome in several Christian circles (particularly Catholic and Orthodox) as well as in Muslims circles. Perhaps a renewed emphasis on the absolute dependency of humans upon God can be seen as a major and fundamental point of commonality in the context of divergent anthropologies that have emphasized their uniqueness through an overly anthropocentric paradigm.
Paul Elhallal 
Thanks for this, Paul. Yes, this does seem like a good point of convergence that could prove fruitful in inter-religious dialogue. Cragg also points to this mutual “enemy” of secularism as a common enemy that many of the world’s can rally together against. In fact, he would probably say that “the absolute dependency of humans upon God,” as you say, is more forcefully stated in Islam than in Christianity (or in their contemporary articulations) and therefore proves a particularly poignant where Christians stand to learn something from Islamic scholarship.
The question, I think, is how do you accomplish a response to this disembedding that does not give way to secularism while also protecting the dignity of those who choose to remain secular. This was the other issue that Howard brought up as a question for Islamic scholars and it seems particularly pressing in the project that you lay out as a promising way forward.
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Thanks Paul and Tyler for this conversation. I don’t know much about Tayler and it was interesting to read about the “great embedding” — many people believe that Muslims can be great allies for Christians in their struggle against militant secularism. I don’t think it’s always played out that way in Europe or the US, however.
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