Surprising though it may seem, a side-by-side anthology of Bible and Qur’an quotes was not available in the English language until it appeared the Dutch site www.bibleandkoran.net in December 2007. I was very pleased to be able to cooperate with the Dutch Broadcasting Companies, IKON and RNW, who were putting the complete Bible and the complete Qur’an on the same site on an equal basis for the first time in history. In fact they performed this feat not only using a Dutch translation (by Leemhuis), but also in English using the Yusuf Ali translation, and in Arabic, with of course the complete Qur’an in Arabic. Especially for a Christian organization,…

“Is Father Hermen already a muslim?” The question came from Rev. Djaka Soetapa. Father Hermenegildo de Almeida looked dazed. Wasn’t he a Catholic, a priest in East Timor? Yes, he had enrolled as student at the State Islamic University of Yogyakarta, in which non-Muslims are allowed to enrol. He was following my course on Contemporary Religious Movements. But that was only to broaden his knowledge, in the context of an MA in religious studies. He had no intention of converting to Islam. And now this Reverend Djaka Soetapa, honorary lecturer at the same university, was calling him a muslim! To make matters worse, Rev. Djaka added: “I have been a…

The story behind the stories Browsing through this anthology might make the reader wonder whether these stories are simply a string of beads, following one another in a more or less chronological order, or something more. Indeed there is a sense to the sequel, which can be explained nowhere else but annex to this introduction. The story behind the stories begins before creation, when God was above the waters. In both books the universe is created in six days or divine periods. An interesting difference occurs on the seventh day. In intermezzo i. Herman Beck gives us a humorous anecdote from his experience as a Christian teaching in Indonesia. Another…

You have before you a unique anthology of stories told in both the Bible and the Qur’an. It starts obviously with creation, which in both books took six Days or divine periods. It continues to describe the creation of man and woman, who in both books dwell in the Garden of Eden, until they are forced to leave paradise through a fault of their own. It figures the sons of Adam, Cain and Abel, and the first murder. Then the great flood is described which destroyed human and animal life on earth, except for those who had boarded the ark of Noah. In both books Abraham nearly sacrifices his son,…