The Christian background to the coming of Islam. Early Christian thinking about other religions ; The history of the Christian church in the Middle East -- The Islamic impact. Muhammad's contacts with Christians ; The Qur'an̄'s view of Christians ; Precedents for Muslim treatment of Christians -- The first age of Christian-Muslim interaction (--c. 830/215). Christian responses to the coming of Islam ; Muslim treatment of Christians I -- The medieval period I : confrontation or interaction in the East? Contacts and exchanges ; Developing mutual perceptions ; Muslim treatment of Christians II ; Conversion to Islam -- The medieval period II : confrontation or interaction in the West? Western Christian reactions to the coming of Islam ; The crusades ; Alternative perceptions of Islam ; The transmission of knowledge from the Islamic world to the West -- The changing balance of power : mission and imperialism? The growth of European power ; The establishment of Christian missions ; The heyday of European influence ; Muslim responses -- New thinking in the 19th/13th and 20th/14th centuries. The growth of Western academic study of Islam ; Changing Christian thinking about Islam ; Changing Muslim thinking about Christianity -- Dialogue or confrontation? The dialogue movement ; The political context ; Fellow-pilgrims?

Includes bibliographical references (p. 199-200) and index.