The Islamic Mary

When Maryam returns to her people, she mocked and told that she come from a righteous family, her father was a good man and her mother was chaste.  In response, she points to her child leading the pe…

I sit down with Alexander Massad to discuss his new book "Witnessing God: Christians, Muslims, and the Comparative Theology of Missions".  Alex is a strong proponent of Evangelical and Muslim dialogu…

I speak about a recent keynote address that I gave at the Pacific Northeast Virtual Exchange conference where I connect my research on the Islamic Mary or Maraym to COIL Virtual Exchange.  Growing up…

One of the reason I have been drawn to the Islamic Mary or Maryam is the idea of a shared figure between various religious traditions and the interactions between them.  This led me to the emerging f…

As part of the slander against Maryam, her people reference her family.  They say that she comes from a noble lineage and her father was a decent man and her mother was not unchaste.  The verse conne…

After Maryam has her child Jesus/'Isa, she has to return to her people and face their judgement and criticism.  Maryam "carries" her child which echoes how Noah was "carried" in the ark.  Also, Marya…

When I was writing The Islamic Mary, I became further interested in the field of Christian and Muslim dialogue and its relevancy today and in the future.  This led me to various books published on th…

After Maryam is told to eat, drink and be glad, she told to take a vow of silence and not speak to anyone for an entire day.  The second half of verse 19:26 sets up the themes of God being the most m…

As we are six months into 2025, we revisit the top 5 podcasts of 2024.  The Islamic Mary podcast now has over 50 episodes and a library of different interviews, reflections and commentaries.  A commo…

After Maryam shakes the palm tree, she is told "to eat, drink, and be glad".  This phrase connects her with other Qur'anic mothers, such as the mother of Moses/Musa, and a larger Qur'anic theme of fi…

When I started writing my book The Islamic Mary: Maryam Through the Centuries, I was drawn to the Qur'anic chapter of Mary or Surat Maryam.  As I started to research the chapter, I came across the wo…

After Maryam calls out in pain and anguish, a voice calls telling her to shake a palm tree and ripe dates will fall upon her.  This is similar to other Qur'anic figures, such as Moses/Musa, who are t…

Happy to share the third and final installment of the 2025 ICJS Silber-Obrecht Lectures where I respond to Rachel S. Mikva's lecture "What Does it Mean to Be Human?" I do a retelling of the Islamic c…

Happy to share the second of the 2025 ICJS Silber-Obrecht Lectures where Rachel S. Mikva discusses "What Does it Mean to Be Human?" She touches on issues relating to AI, climate change and abortion. …

Happy to share the first of the 2025 ICJS Silber-Obrecht Lectures where Rachel S. Mikva discusses "What Does it Mean to Be Human?" She touches on issues relating to AI, climate change and abortion. I…

After Maryam laments and wishes she was dead and long forgotten, she hears a call from below.  This voice guides her on what to do next and informs her that she should not worry or be sad.  This "cal…

Happy to share this 2025 ICJS Silber-Obrecht Lecture Conversation Event where Rachel S. Mikva, Heather Miller Rubens and myself sit down and discuss "What Does it Mean to Be Human?" We discuss issues…

I am super excited to announce that my book The Islamic Mary: Maryam Through the Centuries is now available for pre-order!  This book has been several years in the making so it is surreal to reach th…

In the climax of the story, Maryam makes a remarkable statement: "I wish I had died before this and been a thing forgotten".  Qur'anic commentators understood this statement as part of the pain and s…

When I started my career, I was interested in the figure of Abraham/Ibrahim and how he could be a bridge figure between Christians, Jews and Muslims.  However, as I wrote my book on "The Bible and th…