عنوان

Against Islamophobia: Interfaith Activism as Christian Peacemaking

TL49366

انگلیسی

Against Islamophobia: Interfaith Activism as Christian Peacemaking

[Thesis]

Chloe Breyer

Dorrien, Gary

Union Theological Seminary

2017

182

Committee members: Chung, Hyung Kyung; Reardon, Betty

Place of publication: United States, Ann Arbor; ISBN=978-1-369-77262-3

Ph.D.

Theology Program

Union Theological Seminary

2017

Islamophobia is on the rise in the United States and some Christians fear that peacemaking will be seen as capitulation. What Christian ethical sources will help overcome Islamophobia without watering down the faith tradition, on the one hand, or become a servant of the secular state on the other? This dissertation demonstrates how 20th Century Christian Social Ethics-particularly the Social Gospel and Christian Realism-promotes interfaith activism as peacemaking. It draws on three case studies of events in New York City from 2009 to 2015, including the resistance to a proposed Islamic Center near Ground Zero and the free speech vs. hate speech controversy over the Stop Islamization of America advertisements in subways and busses around New York. The Social Gospel principle that sin and salvation are realized in individuals and institutions-even those outside the church-offers an impetus for Christians to defend fellow Muslim New Yorkers facing discrimination. Reinhold Niebuhr's ideas about proximate justice as the balancing of self-interested groups is an invitation to Christians to join interfaith advocacy coalition for greater transparency and an end to unwarranted mosque surveillance by the NYPD. The Social Ethical tradition within Liberal Christianity supports the defense of Muslim New Yorkers facing Islamophobia. Christians can embrace their grassroots interfaith efforts as an effective form of overcoming Islamophobia, consistent with a long tradition of Christian peacemaking.

Ethics; Islamic Studies; Peace Studies

Philosophy, religion and theology;Social sciences;Anti-muslim;Christian;Islamophobia;Reinhold niebuhr;Social gospel;Terrorism

McLinn, Angus

Dorrien, Gary

Theology Program

Union Theological Seminary

1906324720; 10283174

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[Thesis]

276903

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