ABSTRACT
The Building Bridges Seminar twice addressed the topic of scripture. The first, in 2003, and the second in 2008. Within each of Christianity and Islam there is an extensively sophisticated set of traditions concerning how scriptural texts are to be interpreted and applied. The Christian–Muslim Theological Forum addressed the understanding of scripture at its 2009 conference, paying particular attention to hermeneutics – the different perspectives and approaches to interpreting scripture. The experience of a dialogical engagement that attends closely to, and engages a dialogue of the scriptures has been a deeply sustaining one in pursuing Christian–Muslim theological dialogue. Dialogue of, about, and engaging the Muslim and Christian scriptures is a continuing process. The focus on scripture undertaken by the Forum and the two Building Bridges Seminar meetings will be outlined and discussed in this chapter under five headings: the practice of scripture reading; issues of translation; trajectories of interpretation; the dynamic of revelation; and the use of scriptures in dialogue.
