Christian–Muslim Comparative Theology in the Catholic Church Before Vatican II : A Study of Marie et l'Islam (1950) by Jean‐Mohammed Abd‐el‐Jalil,

Abstract

The 1950 monograph Marie et l'Islam (Mary and Islam) by Jean‐Mohammed Abd‐el‐Jalil, OFM (1904‐1979) is an early example of Christian–Muslim comparative theology in the Catholic Church. Writing in the decade immediately prior to the Second Vatican Council, Abd‐el‐Jalil's work strongly anticipates the form and content of contemporary comparative theology. I retrieve this work and reread it according to the categories of comparative theological learning as developed by Catherine Cornille. Abd‐el‐Jalil reads sympathetically the Qurʾān and tafsīr, encouraging Catholic readers to take Islamic theology seriously. He also develops an implicit critique of what he calls “supernatural minimalism,” contrasting the perceived naturalistic tendencies of Islamic exegesis with the Christian emphasis on the supernatural. Ultimately, Abd‐el‐Jalil exhorts the Catholic reader to imitate the visitation of Mary to Elizabeth (Luke 1:39‐56) as a model for Christian–Muslim dialogue.