Duffner - Finding Jesus among Muslims: How Loving Islam Makes Me a Better Catholic

In our world so fraught with division and despair, Jordan Denari Duffners experiences bring a fresh insight into Muslim-Catholic relations. In addition to recounting her many positive encounters with people of the Muslim faith, Jordan shares her insights in the ways that her own Catholic faith has deepened as a result. This book is an oasis of hope and a must read by all who take seriously the need for dialogue and understanding, particularly between Muslims and Catholics.

Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski, Emeritus Chair of the Bishops Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs

In a time of political division and fear, Jordan Denari Duffner offers us a refreshing work of love, compassion, and understanding. Finding Jesus among Muslims is an open invitation for all of us to better understand our shared values and the powerful beliefs that unite us. This is a work that can help all of us become peacemakers, love our neighbors, welcome strangers, and heal what has been torn apart.

Martin OMalley, Former governor of Maryland and Democratic presidential candidate

Finding Jesus among Muslims is a beautifully written and honest testimony to the value and power of interreligious learning, grounded in Jordan Denari Duffners own life experience, reflection, and prayer. It recounts in lucid terms the place of Islam, its piety, and friendship with Muslims in her journey as a young Catholic woman in the 21st century. That loving Islam has helped Duffner become a better Catholic will encourage many who find themselves today on the path between religions, encountering the new, yet finding their way home again. This fine addition to our growing library on interreligious learning is written with teaching in mind, and will be ideal for classroom use as well.

Professor Francis X. Clooney, SJ, Parkman Professor of Divinity, Harvard University

Jordan Denari Duffners magnificent new book is a game-changer. Unlike so many interfaith volumes where we are either talking at one another or attempting to demonstrate the superiority of our own tradition, this is a committed journey with one another. Duffner is passionately committed to not only learning about Islam and Muslims, but also with Islam and Muslims. A book like this could only be written by a committed Christian who shared a deep love for Muslims, and has genuinely, spiritually, and intellectually engaged both her own tradition and Islam. We do more than merely learn about religious traditions, we grow in faith as a result of journeying with Duffner. It is a moving, heartfelt, intellectually honest, and urgently relevant volume that moves us well beyond the usual parameters of the professional interfaith industry. Passionately and enthusiastically recommended for all Christians, Muslims, and people of faith who wish to live in a diverse world not in spite of our faiths, but because of them.

Professor Omid Safi

Director, Duke Islamic Studies Center

This is an exceptional introduction to interfaith engagement between Catholic Christians and Muslims. This book will teach you about a different religion and deepen the understanding you have of your own. Moreover, it offers practical advice for building interfaith friendshipsnot to mention an awful lot of genuine hope!

Eboo Patel, Founder and President, Interfaith Youth Core and author of Interfaith Leadership

Weaving together her own compelling life story with the richness of the Christian and Islamic traditions, Duffner teaches, inspires, and challenges us. This book is ideal for students and adult learners. She persuasively explains why commitment to interreligious dialogue deepensnot threatensones faith in profound ways. With so much religious conflict in our world, we desperately need this passionately written testimony to grace at work in all people.

Kevin OBrien, SJ, Dean, Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University

Author of The Ignatian Adventure: Experiencing the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius in Daily Life

I loved reading this book from a fresh young voice. As a protestant evangelical pastor I obviously have disagreements with CatholicsI grew up believing they were the other religion! But having worked with Muslims at such a deep level globally, Ive come to feel at home with Catholics plus or minus a few doctrines! You dont have to agree with Jordan on everything, but you can definitely learn from her in how to relate, think, and build bridges to others. Prepare yourself, this book will create more questions than it does answersbut its time for this conversation to be had, for it is now the reality of our world.

Bob Roberts, Founder & Senior Pastor of NorthWood Church in Keller, Texas

Founder of Glocal.net

Author of Bold as Love

The gap between the world as it is and the world as it should be is daunting. I love Finding Jesus among Muslims because Jordanfull of passion, grit, and courageinvites all humans into one of the most important conversations happening on Planet Earth today. Read this book. Then put it down and do something about it.

Dr. Joshua Graves

Preaching and teaching minister for the Otter Creek Church in Nashville, Tennessee

We are enriched in our own faiths, when we fully experience people in theirs. This is an elevating and personal read that challenges each of us to look deeper into others in order to learn more about ourselves. I appreciate Jordans genuine friendship to the Muslim community, and her sincere desire to bring people of different faiths together.

Imam Omar Suleiman

President of Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research

Nihil Obstat: Reverend Robert Harren, J.C.L., Censor deputatis.

Imprimatur: Most Reverend Donald J. Kettler, J.C.L., Bishop of Saint Cloud, October 27, 2017.

Cover design by Amy Marc.

Excerpts from documents of the Second Vatican Council are from Vatican Council II: Constitutions, Decrees, Declarations; The Basic Sixteen Documents, edited by Austin Flannery, OP, 1996. Used with permission of Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota.

Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, DC and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Excerpt from Little Gidding from FOUR QUARTETS by T.S. Eliot. Copyright 1942 by T.S. Eliot; Copyright renewed 1970 by Esme Valerie Eliot. Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company and Faber and Faber Ltd. All rights reserved.

Excerpts from Readings in the Qurn, by Kenneth Cragg, 1999. Used with permission of Sussex Academic Press.

2017 by Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, microfilm, microfiche, mechanical recording, photocopying, translation, or by any other means, known or yet unknown, for any purpose except brief quotations in reviews, without the previous written permission of Liturgical Press, Saint Johns Abbey, PO Box 7500, Collegeville, Minnesota 56321-7500. Printed in the United States of America.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Duffner, Jordan Denari, author.

Title: Finding Jesus among Muslims : how loving Islam makes me a better Catholic / Jordan Denari Duffner.