Islam’s Jesus

Dr. Zeki Saritoprak will examine the place of Jesus in the Qu’ran and Hadiths. He will delve into the Islamic theological perspective, including classical and contemporary theologians’ view of Jesus. Muslims, like Christians, believe in the second coming of Jesus (in Islam, known as the descent of Jesus) and Dr. Saritoprak will discuss the different theological views to the descent. Dr. Saritoprak also will address the important role that Jesus can play in interfaith dialogue.

Special Event Corresponding to the Annual Meetings of the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Biblical Literature

About the Instructor: Zeki Saritoprak has held the Nursi Chair in Islamic Studies at John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio, since 2003. He holds a Ph.D. in Islamic Theology from the University of Marmara in Turkey. His dissertation which examines the personification of evil in the Islamic tradition is entitled The Antichrist (al-Dajjal) in Islamic Theology and was published in Turkish in Istanbul in 1992. Prior to coming to John Carroll, Professor Saritoprak held positions at Harran University in Turkey, Georgetown University, the Catholic University of America, and Berry College in Rome, Georgia. He is also the founder and former president of the Rumi Forum for Interfaith Dialogue in Washington, DC.