ABSTRACT
This chapter brings Islamic scripture and tradition into conversation with the theory of covenantal pluralism and cross-cultural religious literacy (CP-CCRL). The three core competencies of cross-cultural religious literacy—personal, comparative, and collaborative—and its three skills—evaluation, negotiation, and communication—are engaged in light of the Qur’an, Hadith, and seminal thinkers in Islamic intellectual history. Personal competency is the hallmark of Sufism; philosophical theology is a site for comparative competency; and the jurisprudential tradition paves the way for collaborative competency. The Iraqi Sufi al-Muhasibi, Central Asian scientist al-Biruni, and Persian theologian al-Ghazali are taken as paradigmatic thinkers for CC-CCRL. Prominent institutional sites, focusing on the United States, illuminate covenantal pluralism in action. The chapter offers religious literacy in Islam for non-Muslims. At the same time, engagement with current ethical questions invites Muslims to re-imagine their sacred tradition in light of our expanding cosmic gaze. Traditions harbor internal tensions: They resist change for stability, but embrace it for relevance. Can the imperative of covenantal pluralism help Muslims find a kind of dynamic stability? Can a metaphorical “Caliphate” of tomorrow, as a divine trust, be shared across faiths?
