Charles W. Powell is associate director in the Office of Mission Engagement and Church Affairs at the University of Notre Dame. Powell is a former Southern Baptist pastor, and his research and teaching agenda has focused on interreligious dialogue between Christians and Muslims. He travels extensively throughout the Levant, Gulf states, and Europe, engaging in conversations with Muslim scholars, practitioners of Islam, and interfaith institutes to have a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Islamic milieu.
""Charles W. Powell's work is a compelling appeal for Christians, especially Southern Baptists, to address and transcend their biases against Islam. Powell advocates for narrative empathy, urging Christians to deepen their understanding of Muslims and to embody Christ's love in their interactions. His insightful commentary challenges readers to rise above American exclusives and Western prejudices, highlighting the necessity of compassion and collaboration. This book offers practical tools for nurturing interfaith dialogue and engaging with Muslim neighbors empathetically, a critical endeavor in light of the persistent conflicts in the Middle East."" --Abdulrahman al-Salimi, author of Arab Philosophical Trends: Responses to Modernity ""Charles Powell's work is needed, not just for Southern Baptists, but for all Christians to begin to unlock the door to better interactions with our Muslims neighbors. His work of understanding why American Christians have negative impressions of Islam and his proposal on how to understand the Prophet Mohammed in a positive light from a Christian perspective are insightful. This book gives me hope for the future of Evangelical Christian and Muslim relations."" --Justin Meyers, executive director, Al Amana Centre ""Charles Powell's book, Southern Baptists and Muslims, is about Southern Baptists more than Muslims. It is Powell's own story, that of a Southern Baptist preacher who traveled to new convictions about Islam through his friendship with Muslims. Writing this book from the head and from the heart, through relationship and social science, Powell is a fearless reconciler, willing to wade into the most fractious of conflicts. Everyone who seeks genuine peace in our world ought to read it."" --Daniel Philpott, author of Religious Freedom In Islam: The Fate of a Universal Human Right in the Muslim World Today