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The Church of the East's Relation to Islam

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The Church of the East's Relation to Islam i v i Copyright by Michaelv Scott Bos 2018 Abstract In the history of Christian-Muslim relations, the rise of Islam and its encounter with Christianity is often characterized as the competition between two missionary religions, but this is a narrative formed by Western Christianity’s engagement with Islam long after Islam’s formation. It represents an anachronistic understanding of how Christians and Muslims viewed and related to one another in the formational period of Islam. In particular, it neglects the history of Syriac Christians who lived amidst Muslims in the first centuries of Islam’s existence, and therefore a significant part of the earliest engagement between Muslims and Christians has effectively been a lost history. When works on Islam recognize the presence of Syriac Christians (Eastern, non-Chalcedonian Christians), it is generally confined to two areas: their work in translating philosophical and scientific texts into Arabic during the golden age of Islam, and their status as ahl al- dhimmah (protected people). There remains a gap in our understanding of the relationship they had with one another and how this may have shaped each religion’s self- understanding as they navigated a new form of religious pluralism. This study examines the Church of the East and its relation to Islam in the 7th to 9th centuries CE. This will help flesh out our understanding of Christianity’s early relationship to Islam through the lens of the Church of the East with the hope that it may help inform relational possibilities between followers of these religions today. iv Dedication To my wife, Tena, who has been my number one supporter as well as my editor, reading every word I wrote through the program. v Contents Abstract ...................................................................................................................................... iv Contents ..................................................................................................................................... vi List of Tables and Figures ...................................................................................................... ix Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1 One Story, Two Versions ..................................................................................................... 1 Misinformation about Islam and Present-day Efforts ............................................ 3 From Misinformation to Missing Information ........................................................... 5 Present-day Understandings: A Textual and Linguistic Relationship .............................. 8 Recharacterizing Christianity’s Relationship to Islam ....................................................... 10 Filling the Gap ..................................................................................................................... 16 Timeline for Islam .............................................................................................................. 20 Chapter One - The Church of the East: an Introduction (32-622 CE) ................... 22 Founding Narratives .......................................................................................................... 22 The Letters between Jesus and Abgar ...................................................................................... 22 Founding Narratives: What They Tell Us about the Church of the East ...................... 26 From the Apostles to Appellations ............................................................................................ 31 The Church of the East Takes Shape .......................................................................... 34 Patriarchally, Monastically, Theologically and Academically ........................... 34 Organizing Patriarchally ............................................................................................................... 34 Spreading Monastically ................................................................................................................. 38 vi Identifying Theologically ............................................................................................................. 40 Renown Academically .................................................................................................................. 51 On the cusp of Islam .......................................................................................................... 54 Chapter 2 - The Church of the East’s Relation to Islam: Traditional Narratives and New Understandings (622-823 CE) ........................................................................ 57 Shared Stories: The Sleepers of Ephesus .................................................................. 57 Shared Sources and Dependency ............................................................................................... 60 Traditional Narratives and the Church of the East’s Experience of Islam .... 61 First Contacts .................................................................................................................................... 61 The Arab Conquests (632-732 CE) ........................................................................................... 61 The Church of the East’s Golden Age (732-823 CE) ......................................................... 72 Not All Was Golden ....................................................................................................................... 79 More Than Relationships ............................................................................................................. 82 Chapter 3 - Islam’s Relation to the Church of the East: Traditional Narratives and New Understandings (622-823 CE) ........................................................................ 89 The Prophet Turns to the Church of the East for Help ......................................... 89 Traditional Narratives and Islam’s Relation the Church of the East (632-823 CE) ..................................................................................................................... 94 Rethinking the Origins of the Relationship between Islam and Christianity .............. 97 Broadening Sources and Conversations ................................................................................ 106 Conclusion: History, Leadership and Christian-Muslim Relations ..................... 108 vii A Reflection on the Meaning and Place of History in Christian-Muslim Relations ....................................................................................................................... 108 Pilgrimage and the Power of Shared Stories ......................................................... 113 Theological Leadership ................................................................................................... 114 Bibliography .......................................................................................................................... 118 Biography ............................................................................................................................... 130 viii List of Tables and Figures Table 1: Timeline for Islam………………………………………………………………...…..19 Figure 1: Map of the Church of the East in the Sassanian empire (around 500 CE)……….….38 ix Introduction One Story, Two Versions From the inception of Islam, Muslims and Christians have recognized their connection to one another, and sometimes this is expressed in legends and stories that seek to bolster the relationship they share. Within the Islamic tradition, there is the well-known story of the Christian monk, Bahira (known as Sergius in Latin). The story begins when Muhammad was twelve years old and joined his uncle, Abu Talib, on a business trip to Busra, Syria. Bahira lived in a monastery in Busra that was on the main caravan route. Because of this, he saw many caravans pass by him on the way to trade their goods. As Muhammad’s caravan approached the city, Bahira noticed there was something special about it, so he sent word to them that he wished to extend his hospitality and have them join him for a meal. They gladly accepted and set out for the monastery, leaving Muhammad behind to watch the camels. When they arrived, Bahira immediately noticed that someone was missing, and he insisted that the invitation was for all of them. Thus, they sent for Muhammad to join them. When Bahira saw Muhammad, he immediately could see in his face that he bore the sign that marked him as becoming a great prophet. Through this story, a Christian features prominently in confirming the prophethood of 1 Muhammad. If one travels to Busra today, it is possible to visit the (alleged) monastery of Bahira.1 There is also a Syriac Christian version of this story that is unknown to many.2 It chronicles the same encounter between Muhammad and Bahira, but in this version Muhammad stays with Bahira so he can be catechized in the Christian faith. As part of this, Bahira composes a book of Christian teachings for Muhammad, and this book is called the Quran. Unfortunately, as the tale goes, “Muhammad's later followers, and especially the Jews among them, distorted the original Qur’n into the form in which the Muslims now have it.”3 This version of the story speaks to Syriac Christianity’s perceived influence on Islam.4 As we will explore in this thesis, there is interesting research emerging on the relationship between
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