As a continuation of the “Common Word” process, and following the initial Yale response to it, a conference entitled “Loving God and Neighbor in Word and Deed: Implications for Muslims and Christians” was held at Yale on 28-31 July. It involved more than 60 Muslim delegates, a similar number of Christians (including some prominent evangelical leaders), and nine Jewish guests. The conference ended with the publication of a “Final Declaration of the Yale Common Word Conference, July 2008”. These reflections are a response to this declaration and its attendant documentation.

We refer readers also to our earlier response to the original Yale letter , as well as to other papers published on the Yale and “A Common Word” official websites.

We fully affirm and support all endeavours to work for peace in this torn world and to alleviate its widespread and shameful poverty. We also affirm the need for respect for all people and the primacy of love in our dealings with others. We accept the sincerity and goodwill of all involved in the process.

However, noting that the “Final Declaration” received the unanimous support of delegates, and their professed intention not to compromise on essentials, we offer some reservations about its Biblical and theological basis as well as certain of its underlying assumptions.

• The opening address at the conference raises five points, including concerns about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and US foreign policy (and the purported influence of “Christian fundamentalists” upon it), that seem designed to put Christians on the defensive. But these are not issues for which Christians may fairly be held responsible, and our supposed guilt in respect of them should not be assumed in Christian-Muslim discussions and declarations. 
  
  
•  The opening passage of the declaration includes the Qur’anic commandment to speak to Christians and Jews (Q 3:64), which is actually a call to them to convert to Islam. It also includes the “ascribe no partner” phrase, which is a Muslim critique of the Christian doctrines of the Trinity and the deity of Jesus. Muslims consider these to involve the most grievous sin of shirk (i.e. associating a created being with God) and those who hold them to be infidels (kafirun). It seems that the implications of this verse were not realised or discussed.