The Order of Preachers and its early encounters with Islamic scholarship

Abstract

As we celebrate this year the 800th anniversary of the approbation of the Order of Preachers by Pope Honorius III it is the duty of us Dominicans to consider the various ramifications of the mission entrusted our Founder St Dominic by the Church. Among these one of the more important is that of encountering Islam, which was already an urgent issue during his lifetime. The purpose of this article is to shed some light on this particular aspect of the Order's mission during the first century from its foundation and the possible lessons that it provides for Dominican life today. Christian-Muslim dialogue is increasingly becoming a challenge for the interested parties of both religious traditions. It demands recognition of the wealth of human diversity, which in many cases is also a cause for anxiety. In Europe, local populations are gradually transforming themselves into multi-ethnic and multi-cultural societies, especially due to immigration, whether legal or clandestine. For this reason Christian and Muslim authorities have perceived the urgent need for establishing dialogue. However, in order to be fruitful, this dialogue must be built not only upon past achievements, but it also must learn from past errors. In this regard the Mediaeval Period bas much to teach us concerning the way forward in dialogue.