Papers by Richard McCallum
Journal of Contemporary Religion
Studies in Interreligious Dialogue, 2018
Studies in Interreligious Dialogue, 2018
This is the second of a pair of articles exploring the much neglected issue of evaluation with re... more This is the second of a pair of articles exploring the much neglected issue of evaluation with respect to inter-faith initiatives. The first article looked at the current state of inter-faith evaluation in the literature and proposed a framework for such evaluation. This second article presents a case study utilizing the framework to evaluate the Cambridge Inter-faith Programme summer schools that took place from 2011 to 2015. It presents the data gathered over this period, explores the representational, relational, epistemic and existential changes observed amongst the students as a result of the school, and evaluates the practical outcomes of the program. It finds that the schools generally increased rather than decreased the participants’ sense of religious identity, yet helped them to form ongoing relationships with others and resulted in continued or increased inter-faith engagement.
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A public summary of the full unpublished final report presented to the University of Cambridge ev... more A public summary of the full unpublished final report presented to the University of Cambridge evaluating the 5 CIP summer schools.
Political Theology, 2012
This paper analyses the responses of Evangelical Christians to “A Common Word between Us and You.... more This paper analyses the responses of Evangelical Christians to “A Common Word between Us and You.” While many Evangelical leaders warmly welcomed the initiative and have subsequently been involved in various dialogues and conferences, others were more sceptical and refused to take part. This latter reaction reflects a general lack of trust in some parts of the Evangelical movement engendered by concerns over Muslim approaches to law, freedom of religion and conscience, the treatment of apostates under shari‘a and restrictions on Christian mission in Muslim countries. The debate between these two groups has been sharp and at times acrimonious, reflecting deeper tensions within the Evangelical community. Drawing on recent books, articles, blogs and the author’s own observations at an international dialogue conference, this paper highlights the tensions and examines some of the underlying causes.
The Cambridge Interfaith Programme Summer School has taken place since 2011 and brings together y... more The Cambridge Interfaith Programme Summer School has taken place since 2011 and brings together young Jews, Christians and Muslims around the world to take part in over 2 weeks of shared Scriptural Reasoning. It is sponsored by the Polonsky Foundation and the Omani government and this report looks at the impact it has had on participants in the first three years and its potential development in the future.
This report is based on a survey and interviews with over 40 Christian theological colleges in th... more This report is based on a survey and interviews with over 40 Christian theological colleges in the British Isles from a wide range of traditions exploring how they teach their students about Islam. It particularly asks whether an awareness of Islam is integrated into the entire curriculum or treated as an optional specialism and for what purpose.
Jürgen Habermas's seminal work on the public sphere has been much quoted and much criticised, not... more Jürgen Habermas's seminal work on the public sphere has been much quoted and much criticised, not least for its failure to take religion into account. This article briefly examines the development of the notion of the public sphere in the sociological literature and in particular Hauser's concept of ‘micro public spheres’ as part of a ‘montage of publics’. Using Evangelical Christian reactions to Islam as an illustration, the article proposes the existence of religious micro public spheres which contribute to the formation of public opinion in plural societies and concludes by discussing the utility of this concept as an analytical framework for both the sociology of religion and the faith communities.
Book Reviews by Richard McCallum
Journal of Contemporary Religion, 2017
The title of this helpful, well-written but occasionally repetitive book is rather misleading. Th... more The title of this helpful, well-written but occasionally repetitive book is rather misleading. The author does not engage the question of the compatibility or relationship of Islam as a religious system with secularity, but rather focuses on the way in which Muslims are instrumental in a new transformation of the European public sphere.
European Journal of Theology, 2016
This handbook provides an excellent overview of research into the diverse histories and contempor... more This handbook provides an excellent overview of research into the diverse histories and contemporary circumstances of Muslims in Europe. Chapters describe Muslim communities in specific countries as well as discussing themes such as Islamophobia, the shariah and radicalization. However, whilst it will be of enormous benefit to social science, it certainly does not help the reader to understand ‘European Islam’ as a theological construct.
Christian Century, 2016
Raymond Baker offers some good news amid the gloom of global terrorism, opening up the little-kno... more Raymond Baker offers some good news amid the gloom of global terrorism, opening up the little-known world of wasatiyya—or centrist—Islam. But .......
Journal of Sociology of Religion, 2016
The title of this edited volume challenges the confident assertion of Micklethwait and Woolridge’... more The title of this edited volume challenges the confident assertion of Micklethwait and Woolridge’s 2009 book, God is Back. For the editor, at least, “the blunt answer is no” (15), and from some—but not all—of the authors, one can hear a collected sigh of relief. However, if God is not back, religion most certainly is. The real question is “what does this new visibility of religion mean?” (2).
Solas Magazine, 2016
American Philip Jenkins wrote God’s Continent, the third book in his trilogy, The Future of Chris... more American Philip Jenkins wrote God’s Continent, the third book in his trilogy, The Future of Christianity, almost 10 years ago but it has proved to be prescient and remains sharply relevant to the European context today. In this volume Jenkins was rather more optimistic than in the first in which he had imagined apocalyptic scenarios fuelled by clashes reminiscent of the thirteenth century (Jenkins 2003). By 2007, however, he felt that, whilst the threat could not be taken lightly, “perceptions of a naked clash of civilisations (were) wide of the mark” (p205). One wonders what Jenkins would make of the situation today with the rise of ISIS and recent attacks on European soil.
Acorn Press website, 2011
Peter Cotterell has provided an engaging, accessible biography of the founder of Islam that is at... more Peter Cotterell has provided an engaging, accessible biography of the founder of Islam that is at the same time respectful and critical. In addition to the sparse Qur’anic material and the Hadith, the account closely follows Ibn Ishaq’s Sirat al-rasul (as translated by Guillaume) and if the book lacks one thing it is a critical evaluation of this source which is not universally accepted by Muslims as being reliable. In the book Muhammad’s qualities as a leader and man of forceful personality are appreciated but at the same time his perceived weaknesses are not excused as being a product of his historical context. For Cotterell this will not do for one whom Muslims hold up as ‘the perfect example of manhood for all time’. Whilst he is more sympathetic of Muhammad’s politically motivated marriages than many Western observers have been, he is concerned about the levels of violence in the Medinan period and what he sees as the serendipitous nature of some of the later ‘claimed’ revelations. Ultimately he is critical of Muhammad’s legacy in the ‘backward-looking social code’ of Islam. Whilst not extensively footnoted, this book will serve as an entry level study book for students if read critically as well as a good starting point for those interested in thinking about the origins of Islam.
Thesis by Richard McCallum
The increasingly politicized presence of Muslim communities in Britain today is raising issues no... more The increasingly politicized presence of Muslim communities in Britain today is raising issues not only for society in general but for other faith communities as well. Among these the Evangelical constituency, including the members of various Christian diasporas, is struggling to find a coherent response which is true to its Bible-based, activist roots.
This thesis discusses the relationship of religion to the theoretical notion of the public sphere. Specifically it hypothesizes an Evangelical micro public sphere as the framework for an empirical exploration of the responses of British Evangelicals to Muslims since the events of 11th September 2001. It describes the formation, composition and discourse of this sphere drawing on data gathered from books, articles, lectures and interviews with key participants. The data reveal a marked tension, indeed a polarization, amongst Evangelicals, with an increasingly sharp disagreement between ‘confrontationalists’ and ‘conciliators’.
A detailed analysis of the interaction of this sphere with Muslims, the national media and church leaders follows, leading to a concluding discussion of the future trajectory of the British Evangelical movement. Whilst it is still too early to say whether Evangelicalism will be strengthened or weakened, its encounter with Islam is likely to be an increasingly significant factor in British public life for the foreseeable future.
Books by Richard McCallum
Ch9 (163-180) in P. Thijssen, W. Weyns and S. Mels (eds), New Public Spheres: Recontextualizing the Intellectual, 2013
Developed from a paper first given at a conference at the Universitair Centrum Sint-Ignatius in A... more Developed from a paper first given at a conference at the Universitair Centrum Sint-Ignatius in Antwerp this chapter looks at Christian writers and speakers on Islam as public intellectuals seeking to influence the opinion of their public – Christians mainly in the evangelical tradition.
Ch7 (pp115-132) in M. Guest and E. Arweck (eds), Religion and Knowledge: Sociological perspectives, Routledge, 2012
This chapter uses the work of sociologists such as Peter Berger and Christian Smith to explore Ch... more This chapter uses the work of sociologists such as Peter Berger and Christian Smith to explore Christian reactions to Islam and the possible futures. Will Christians withdraw and entrench themselves? Will they turn to crusade? Will they capitulate? Or will they develop an ‘engaged orthodoxy’?
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Papers by Richard McCallum
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Book Reviews by Richard McCallum
Thesis by Richard McCallum
This thesis discusses the relationship of religion to the theoretical notion of the public sphere. Specifically it hypothesizes an Evangelical micro public sphere as the framework for an empirical exploration of the responses of British Evangelicals to Muslims since the events of 11th September 2001. It describes the formation, composition and discourse of this sphere drawing on data gathered from books, articles, lectures and interviews with key participants. The data reveal a marked tension, indeed a polarization, amongst Evangelicals, with an increasingly sharp disagreement between ‘confrontationalists’ and ‘conciliators’.
A detailed analysis of the interaction of this sphere with Muslims, the national media and church leaders follows, leading to a concluding discussion of the future trajectory of the British Evangelical movement. Whilst it is still too early to say whether Evangelicalism will be strengthened or weakened, its encounter with Islam is likely to be an increasingly significant factor in British public life for the foreseeable future.
Books by Richard McCallum
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This thesis discusses the relationship of religion to the theoretical notion of the public sphere. Specifically it hypothesizes an Evangelical micro public sphere as the framework for an empirical exploration of the responses of British Evangelicals to Muslims since the events of 11th September 2001. It describes the formation, composition and discourse of this sphere drawing on data gathered from books, articles, lectures and interviews with key participants. The data reveal a marked tension, indeed a polarization, amongst Evangelicals, with an increasingly sharp disagreement between ‘confrontationalists’ and ‘conciliators’.
A detailed analysis of the interaction of this sphere with Muslims, the national media and church leaders follows, leading to a concluding discussion of the future trajectory of the British Evangelical movement. Whilst it is still too early to say whether Evangelicalism will be strengthened or weakened, its encounter with Islam is likely to be an increasingly significant factor in British public life for the foreseeable future.