Front Cover:

"A magnificent `tour de force¿ by our greatest living theologian"

Lord George Carey ¿ former Archbishop of Canterbury, 1991-2002

Back Cover:

"The options have become clear: rivalry amongst the religions, a clash of civilizations, war between nations or a dialogue of civilizations and peace between the religions as a harbinger of peace among nations.

Faced with a deadly threat to all humankind, shouldn¿t we demolish the walls of prejudice stone by stone and build bridges of dialogue, including bridges to Islam, rather than erect new barriers of hatred, vengeance and hostility?"

Hans Küng

Inside Left:

For more than two decades the world¿s religions have been a central topic for Hans Küng. In books that have inspired millions throughout the world, he has pioneered work towards a new dialogue between them. Following bestselling volumes on Christianity and Judaism, here Küng turns his attention to Islam.

No other religion in the modern world has come under such close scrutiny or been viewed as a source of so much harm to our civilization as Islam. It is routinely portrayed in the media as a promoter of terrorism, supporter of authoritarian governments, oppressor of women, and an enemy of the West. Hans Küng demonstrates that this simplistic perception is far from the reality of Islam.

Providing a masterful overview of Islam¿s 1,400-year history, Küng examines its fundamental beliefs and practices, outlines the major schools of thought, and surveys the positions of Islam on the urgent questions of the day. Deft, assured, and comprehensive, this is a sympathetic assessment of Islam by a renowned Christian theologian.

Inside Right:

[AUTHOR PHOTO]

Hans Küng is President of the Global Ethic Foundation. Until his retirement in 1996, he was Professor of Ecumenical Theology and Director of the Institute for Ecumenical Research at the University of Tübingen. He is a scholar of theology and philosophy, and an influential author. His principal works include Infallible?: An Enquiry, The Church and On Being a Christian.