Islam and Christian–Muslim relations in Germany: Recent developments and continuing issues

Abstract

The field of Christian-Muslim relations in Germany today is an increasingly important subject for study and analysis. In this article the authors give a short expository description of the religious context of Germany, noting salient factors of church-state relations and the role of religion. This sets the scene for an overview of Islam, followed by an exploration of aspects of Christian-Muslim relations within Germany. A discussion of some key issues with respect to the specifics of Islam in present-day Germany, and aspects of relations with this Islam, will also be included. The article does not provide exhaustive coverage; rather it attempts to introduce a non-German readership to the contemporary phenomenon of Islam and Christian-Muslim relations in Germany, which, arguably, is of considerable significance to the broader European experience as well as of importance to the understanding of Islam and its relations to wider non-Muslim societies in regional contexts.