The portrayal of Jesus in Islam amongst contemporary Muslims writing to the American public: in what ways do their writings represent continuity and change in relation to formative-classical Muslim understandings?

Tarif Khalidi, a contemporary Muslim scholar, has observed that the identity of the Jesus of Islam has been changing since the canonical writings of the Qur’an and Hadīth. He has moved from the ascetic saint of formative-classical Islam to lord of nature, miracle worker, healer, and social and ethical model of modern Islam. He says that Jesus has become much more than an argument for the truth of Islam, “he is a living and vital moral voice, demanding to be heard.”1

Inspired by Khalidi’s observation, I analyze the writings of six contemporary Muslim scholars writing to the American public to determine the ways in which their understandings of the Jesus of Islam have evolved from formative-classical Muslim understandings. I identify nine themes demonstrating their movements in understandings of the Jesus of Islam. These themes are organized in five chapters: The Uniqueness of ʿĪsā, The Nature of ʿĪsā as the Word of Allah, Prophet of Hope - Future and Present, Zealot and Martyr, and Object of Personal Appreciation.

I affirm Khalidi’s observation that the Jesus of Islam is evolving, but my objective is to go beyond this observation. It is to identify the ways in which the Jesus of Islam may be evolving within a contemporary American context and determine the direction and degree of change from formative-classical understandings. I conclude that, with one exception, the primary source authors’ understandings of the Jesus of Islam are evolving from formative-classical understandings towards the Jesus of the Gospels understandings to the point of tension or conflict with the earlier understandings. The conclusion of this thesis provides a summary of my findings and raises new questions for future research. The Literature Review identifies a gap in the current body of knowledge regarding the Jesus of Islam, arguing that there is no comprehensive account of Muslim observations on Christ that also takes present day views into account. This research will address this gap.