Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Islam Stuck in the Middle Ages, Says Hans Küng

With all due respect Professor Hans Küng, to say that “Islam’s problems with the modern world are because it has never undergone ‘a serious religious reformation’” is to state the glaringly obvious. - ©Mark

TIMESONLINE: Islam's problems with the modern world are because it has never undergone "a serious religious reformation" claims German theologian

Islam is stuck in its own version of the “Middle Ages” which is contributing to a global crisis, one of the leading experts on Islam, Judaism and Christianity argues today.

Professor Hans Kung [sic], a leading Roman Catholic and theologian from Germany, warns in a lecture of a “deadly threat” to all humankind unless new efforts are made to build bridges with Islam. He says in London that Islam has “special problems” with modernity because, unike [sic] Christianity and Judaism, it has never undergone a “serious religious reformation”. He questions whether Islam is even capable of adapting to a post-modern world in the way that Christianity and Judaism have done. But he also outlines why he is hopeful that the present problems around radicalisation within Islam can be resolved, and how the other two Abrahamic faiths are subject to some of the same problems on their extremist edges. Violence has been practicised in the sign of the crescent, but also in the sign of the cross, he warns. In his lecture, seen by The Times, Professor Kung [sic] says: “The options have become clear: either rivalry of the religions, clash of civilizations, war of the nations - or dialogue of civilizations and peace between the nations as a presupposition for peace between the nations. Islam Is Stuck in the Middle Ages, Says Leading Interfaith Expert >>> By Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent | June 16, 2008

Hat tip: Dhimmi Watch

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback - UK)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardback - UK)