پیغمبرِ دیگر: قرآن ِ کریم میں عیسیٰٴمصنّفین کلاوس فون اسٹوش اور مُہند خورشیدایک تنقیدی اور تلخیصی جائزہ

The Other Prophet: Jesus in the Qur’an by Klaus von Stosch and Mouhanad Khorchide, A critical and Summative review

Abstract

This article provides a critical and analytical assessment of The Other Prophet: Jesus in the Qur’an (2019) by Klaus von Stosch and Mouhanad Khorchide, contending that the work represents a substantial scholarly contribution to Islamic Christology and modern Muslim–Christian theological discourse. Utilizing the late-antique contextual interpretations of the Qur’an established by Angelika Neuwirth and Mahmoud Ayoub, the authors of the monograph reevaluate the dominant belief that a legitimate ecclesial form of Christianity was absent in Meccan culture at the onset of Islam. They argue that the Qur’an interacts with a more varied Christian context than any particular or "orthodox" doctrinal framework. Their intertextual and diachronic methodology is illustrated in their reading of Surahs (19), (3) and (5), where Jesus is placed within a cohesive theological context of divine mercy, sign (āya), miracle, and kalimat Allāh. The assessment highlights that the significant structural parallels between the birth narratives of John and Jesus demonstrate the Qur'an's commitment to maintaining, rather than undermining, the ongoing continuity of Israelite religious tradition. The assessment ultimately determines that the book introduces a novel kalām-theological perspective in which Qur’anic Christology is presented not as a denial or critique of Christianity, but as a depiction of Jesus as a prophet-reformer who exemplifies the fullest expression of divine mercy and significance, thereby facilitating a deeper and more intellectually robust comparative-theological discourse.

This article provides a critical and analytical assessment of The Other Prophet: Jesus in the Qur’an (2019) by Klaus von Stosch and Mouhanad Khorchide, contending that the work represents a substantial scholarly contribution to Islamic Christology and modern Muslim–Christian theological discourse. Utilizing the late-antique contextual interpretations of the Qur’an established by Angelika Neuwirth and Mahmoud Ayoub, the authors of the monograph reevaluate the dominant belief that a legitimate ecclesial form of Christianity was absent in Meccan culture at the onset of Islam. They argue that the Qur’an interacts with a more varied Christian context than any particular or "orthodox" doctrinal framework. Their intertextual and diachronic methodology is illustrated in their reading of Surahs (19), (3) and (5), where Jesus is placed within a cohesive theological context of divine mercy, sign (āya), miracle, and kalimat Allāh. The assessment highlights that the significant structural parallels between the birth narratives of John and Jesus demonstrate the Qur'an's commitment to maintaining, rather than undermining, the ongoing continuity of Israelite religious tradition. The assessment ultimately determines that the book introduces a novel kalām-theological perspective in which Qur’anic Christology is presented not as a denial or critique of Christianity, but as a depiction of Jesus as a prophet-reformer who exemplifies the fullest expression of divine mercy and significance, thereby facilitating a deeper and more intellectually robust comparative-theological discourse.