The Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding: History and International Affairs The Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding: History and International Affairs was established in 1993 by Georgetown University and the Fondation pour 1’Entente entre Chretiens et Musulmans, Geneva, to promote dialogue between the two great religions. The Center focuses on the historical, theological, political and cultural encounter of Islam and Christianity, the Muslim world and the West. Located in the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, the Center combines teaching, research and public affairs.

The establishment of the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown flows from the role of religion in the contemporary international system. Both Georgetown’s Catholic Jesuit heritage and its location in Washington have shaped the University’s abiding interest in the study of religion and international affairs. Islam is one of the great spiritual and social forces in the world today; its influence

and significance will extend

and

develop in the twenty-first century. Thus, the study of Islam at Georgetown encompasses its religious content, its cultural significance and role in international affairs as well as the Christian experience in the Muslim world.

The focus of the Center’s activities, both national and international in scope, is achieved through teaching, symposia, international conferences and extensive media coverage. Center faculty and visiting faculty offer courses on Islam and the history of Muslim Christian relations for undergraduate and graduate students at the University. A broad array of public affairs activities and publications seek to interpret the interaction of the Muslim world and the West

for diverse

communities:

government,

academia,

media, religious communities, and the corporate world.