Folia Theologica et Canonica 10. 32/24 (2021)
Recensions
304 RECENSIONS ship between Jesus Christ and Ahlul Al-Bayt. As in the second part, this last topic is of crucial and comprehensive importance for the comparison between Christian and Shi’a teaching on Jesus Christ. The so-called ‘Ahl al-Bayt’ is the central element and the most prestigious source of interpretation of the Shi’a tradition. This comprises Muhammad, his daughter Fatimah; his son-in-law Imam Ali, and their children Hassan and Hussein, collectively known as the Ahl al-Kisa (the Men of the Cloak). The Twelve Imams, as descendants of Muhammad, are generally held in high esteem. Among them, the teachings and life example of Hussein (Husayn Ibn Ali) and Ali (Ali Ibn Hussayn), who were martyred in Karbala, are outstanding. The final theme, based primarily on their thoughts (with literal propositional and explanatory quotations), provides a precise framework for the expression of the values (both human and religious) shared by Christians and Shi’ites. Due to the pandemic, the public presentation of the explained volume could only take place on September 19th 2021, hosted by Kut University College. The work was comprehensively presented by Talib Zydan Taban Al-Mousawi and Szabolcs Anzelm Szuromi, O.Praem., followed by the explanation of each chapter by Alan Al-Hully, Marwa Abed Fahid, Marwa Barhn Farman, Marwa Muhamade Ared, and Sarah Abedulla Hatiyt. The presentation of the volume, given its objective content, taking into account both Christian and Muslim approaches, was also the occasion for the creation of a new research center, the Center for Interfaith Dialogue of the ‘Abraham ’Religions, under the leadership of Zydan Taban Al-Mousawi and Szabolcs Anzelm Szuromi, O.Praem. The inaugural conference of the new Center took place on September 20th 2021 at Wasit University, with a broad religious leadership and professional participation from all over Iraq (as a follow-up, the Center held a conference entitled Coexistence and Tolerance are the Divine Relations Message to Humanity on November 18th 2021 in Al-Kut). The above presented unique volume, which is part of the process of interfaith dialogue and the creation of a serious institutional framework for it, and which focuses on the person of Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, successfully implements the specific principles that validate both Catholic and Shi’ite theological convictions, emphasizing the values and theological convictions in which the two sides have a close understanding. At the same time, it is careful to ensure that this does not lead either side to abandon its own religious convictions which link them to God through their sacred traditions. The importance of this volume is demonstrated well by the fact that in November 2021 the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana has undertaken to publish it in French, German, Italian and Spanish. Szabolcs Anzelm Szuromi, O.Praem.
