W. Richard Oakes Jr. Cross of Christ

Annotation

The Cross of Christ: Islamic Perspectives takes an in-depth look at all of the classical Muslim scholars considered to have affirmed Jesus crucifixion. Each chapter provides the important historical and intellectual context for the commentators. As well, critical new translations of key texts are provided, offering important access to vital documents. The author argues that, rather than affirming the historicity of the crucifixion, the Ismailis tend to assume its historicity, in order to advance important Ismaili doctrines. The author also contends that the commentators who explored ways to affirm the crucifixion, nonetheless made extensive use of traditional substitution legends that deny the crucifixion. In order to orient the reader, the book starts by introducing the reader to the Jesus of the Quran. It then compares Him to the Jesus of the New Testament and the Jesus of para-biblical literature. Upon this Quranic skeleton, the author layers a myriad of details found in seventeen works of classic Islamic literature, so that a truly unique, authentic and authoritative Jesus of Islam emerges.