Regard and Disregard in Early Relations between Muslims and Christians

Abstract

The ninth and tenth centuries are maybe the most active in controversial and intellectual exchanges in the whole history of Christian-Muslim relations. In Basra, Baghdad and other towns of the Arab heartlands followers of the two faiths were employing a common language for maybe the first time and, even more importantly, they were discovering a common conceptuality and grammar of discourse. Through these they were enabled to understand, if not appreciate, one another as they each attempted to expound their perceptions of God and his relationship with created reality.