The Prophethood of Jesus and Religious Inclusivism in Nursi’s Risale-i Nur

Abstract

This article examines Said Nursi’s understanding of Jesus, his comparison of the prophethood of Jesus with that of Muḥammad, and his conception of Christianity and Islam as partners in the struggle against irreligion. Nursi’s views are then placed in the context of interreligious dialogue and the argument made that Nursi’s critical respect for Christianity can be read as an Islamic version of religious inclusivism, i.e. Nursi’s recognition and valuing of the truth, goodness and holiness of Christianity, while affirming that these qualities reach full expression only in Islam.

Keywords

• Prophethood
• Jesus
• Muḥammad
• exclusivism
• inclusivism
• pluralism
• Christology
• Sharia
• Christian social teaching
• the Gospel of John
• the Anti-Christ
• irreligion
• collective personality
• salvation