Offers a unique comparative exploration of the role of tradition in Islam and Christianity. The idea of 'tradition' has enjoyed a variety of senses and definitions in Islam and Christianity, but both have cleaved at certain times to a supposedly 'golden age' of tradition from the past. Theauthor suggests there has been a chain of thinkers from classical Islam to the twentieth century who share a common interest in ijtihad (or independent thinking).Drawing on past and present evidence, and using Christian tradition as a focus for contrast and comparison, the author highlights the seemingly paradoxical harmony between tradition and itjihad in Islam. The author draws on a variety of primary and secondary sources including contemporary newspaperand journal articles, documents and letters, adding an immediacy to a lucid and stimulating text. | Islam Christianity and Tradition by Ian Richard Netton, Paperback | Indigo Chapters