The sacred text of the Psalms, along with musical tunes, provides a robust context for religious dialogue. This book proposes a creative strategy for building Muslim-Christian friendship by using the lyrical poetry of the Psalms translated into the vernacular and composed in culturally relevant music.

For fourteen centuries, a gap of mutual suspicion and hostility has existed between Christians and Muslims, despite attempts to engage theologically, apologetically, polemically, and militarily (such as the Crusades). During the past four decades, increased Islamization in Pakistan has led to blasphemy laws, nationalization of Christian institutions, a state policy of religious and political profiling, and discrimination against followers of Jesus. Historic animosity has resulted in widespread violence and persecution. Amid such an environment, past efforts at reaching Muslims with the gospel have proved ineffective or even detrimental, highlighting a need for a different approach to engaging with Islamic culture. Eric Sarwar's research, experience, and practice have uncovered the valuable and mostly untapped role of the biblical Psalms in fostering peaceful friendship with Muslims. The book of Psalms, called Zabor in Arabic, is a common heritage of divine song that can be used as a point of connection for public witness between Muslims and Christians. Especially in the Pakistani context, Psalms carries vast potential, in terms of both text and musical expression, as a bridge to peacemaking and missional engagement. Yet the book of Psalms has never been a significant part of witness to the Muslim world. Sarwar believes that can change.

The greatest hope of all the religious groups that awaited for scores of centuries with a dogma of their own Holy Books which witnessed the glory and the majesty of that personality called as 'Muhammad' and 'Ahmad' – 'the Glorious' and 'the Praised', on whom be peace and lasting blessings, which certainly got fulfilled when he finally arrived on the stage of the history. The Scriptures of the Prophets that went before him ended their tasks by heralding the tiding of his coming. Despite the textual corruption of those ancient scriptures, the golden sayings were still preserved by ALLAH, the One True God as a signpost for the honest and noble readers. The seekers of truth! Be certain of the fact that Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) was the promised Prophet and the awaited saviour whom the Jews called as the King Messiah. His coming was prophesied by all the Prophets like Moses and Jesus (Peace Be Upon Them) long before his arrival, and he was also mentioned in the Old and New Testaments. Likewise, the Far East Indian scriptures never failed to mention ‘his name and praises’ which certainly constitute a miracle pertaining to him and confirming his Prophethood. In the light of the above facts, how could a man of wisdom escape from this overwhelming thought? Or will he still deny this truth? Or will he still await and hope that from Heaven angels would come and guide him when the final Message has already been delivered by 'Muhammadur Rasul ALLAH' to the creation of ALLAH in general, on whom be peace and lasting blessings? Indeed, it is ALLAH, the Lord of the worlds Who Himself calls on us to acknowledge this truth in the Holy Quran: "O mankind! The Messenger (Muhammad, on whom be peace and lasting blessings) hath come unto you with the Truth from your Lord. Therefore believe; (it is) better for you. But if ye disbelieve, still, lo! Unto ALLAH belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and the earth. ALLAH is ever Knower, Wise" - (4:170).

From disagreement over an Islamic Center in New York to clashes between Christians and Muslims in Egypt, tension between the three Abrahamic faiths often runs high. Yet for all their differences, these three traditions-Judaism, Islam, and Christianity-share much in common. Three Testaments brings together for the first time the text of the Torah, the New Testament, and the Quran, so that readers can explore for themselves the connections, as well as the points of departure, between the three faiths. Notable religion scholars provide accessible introductions to each tradition, and commentary from editor Brian Arthur Brown explores how the three faiths may draw similarities from the ancient Zoroastrian tradition. This powerful book provides a much-needed interfaith perspective on key sacred texts.

One of the most central figures in monotheistic traditions is King David. The volume takes a new, critical look at the process of biblical creation and exegetical transformation of this character in the intertwined words of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

There is nothing that can speak to the Christian’s heart quite like the Psalms. These cherished songs lead us into worship, guide our lament, and teach us to pray. But they are even more vibrant when we understand the context, author’s intent, and recognize what this means for our lives today. This is what the best preachers do, but you don’t have to wait until Sunday’s sermon. Encounter the beautiful depth of Psalms through an enlightening chapter-by-chapter commentary from Robert L. Alden that’s both straightforward and insightful. This single-volume commentary is helpfully divided into three thought-provoking sections: Songs of Devotion Songs of Dedication Songs of Discipleship You don’t have to go to seminary to encounter God in exciting, new ways through His Word. Discover how much more enjoyable your personal study will be with understandable, quality Bible commentary for everyday life.

Why did the Jews reject Jesus? Was he really the son of God? Were the Jews culpable in his death? These ancient questions have been debated for almost two thousand years, most recently with the release of Mel Gibson’s explosive The Passion of the Christ. The controversy was never merely academic. The legal status and security of Jews—often their very lives—depended on the answer. In WHY THE JEWS REJECTED JESUS, David Klinghoffer reveals that the Jews since ancient times accepted not only the historical existence of Jesus but the role of certain Jews in bringing about his crucifixion and death. But he also argues that they had every reason to be skeptical of claims for his divinity. For one thing, Palestine under Roman occupation had numerous charismatic would-be messiahs, so Jesus would not have been unique, nor was his following the largest of its kind. For another, the biblical prophecies about the coming of the Messiah were never fulfilled by Jesus, including an ingathering of exiles, the rise of a Davidic king who would defeat Israel’s enemies, the building of a new Temple, and recognition of God by the gentiles. Above all, the Jews understood their biblically commanded way of life, from which Jesus’s followers sought to “free” them, as precious, immutable, and eternal. Jews have long been blamed for Jesus’s death and stigmatized for rejecting him. But Jesus lived and died a relatively obscure figure at the margins of Jewish society. Indeed, it is difficult to argue that “the Jews” of his day rejected Jesus at all, since most Jews had never heard of him. The figure they really rejected, often violently, was Paul, who convinced the Jerusalem church led by Jesus’s brother to jettison the observance of Jewish law. Paul thus founded a new religion. If not for him, Christianity would likely have remained a Jewish movement, and the course of history itself would have been changed. Had the Jews accepted Jesus, Klinghoffer speculates, Christianity would not have conquered Europe, and there would be no Western civilization as we know it. WHY THE JEWS REJECTED JESUS tells the story of this long, acrimonious, and occasionally deadly debate between Christians and Jews. It is thoroughly engaging, lucidly written, and in many ways highly original. Though written from a Jewish point of view, it is also profoundly respectful of Christian sensibilities. Coming at a time when Christians and Jews are in some ways moving closer than ever before, this thoughtful and provocative book represents a genuine effort to heal the ancient rift between these two great faith traditions.

In this third commentary on the Psalms, Dr. Alden completes his series by illuminating the final fifty psalms, which he has entitled "Songs of Discipleship." These psalms reveal kaleidoscopic meanings for the reader as Dr. Alden examines the background of each psalm, explains the message the psalmist was attempting to convey then, and relates it in a meaningful way to today. The psalmist tells how the Lord has proved faithful to him, helping him in his distress. He voices desperate petitions, recalls what the Lord has done in the past, praises Him for His goodness and greatness, and testifies to His mercy in the many extremities of life. Dr. Alden says, "Here, more than any other place in the Bible, the heart-throb of the saint is heard. Here are the most exalted expressions of God's greatness. Here are the most bitter groans of the sinful sick. Here is something for everyone in every mood." Containing outlines and translations of difficult words, this is an ideal book for personal or group study, in the classroom or at home.

In Judaism and Islam One God One Music, Merav Rosenfeld-Hadad offers the first substantial study of the history and nature of the Jewish Paraliturgical Song, which developed in the Arabo-Islamic civilization between the tenth and the twentieth centuries. Commonly portrayed as clashing cultures, Judaism and Islam appear here as complementary and enriching religio-cultural sources for the Paraliturgical Song’s texts and music, poets and musicians, as well as the worshippers. Relying chiefly on the Babylonian-Jewish written sources of the genre, Rosenfeld-Hadad gives a fascinating historical account of one thousand years of the rich and vibrant cultural and religious life of Middle Eastern Judaism that endured in Arabo-Islamic settings. She convincingly proves that the Jewish Paraliturgical Song, like its people, reflects a harmonious hybridization of Jewish and Arabo-Islamic aesthetics and ideas. The link to Dr. Merav Rosenfeld-Hadad's international book launch can be found here: International Book Launch Judaism and Islam: One God One Music