This book offers a unique comparative exploration of the role of tradition in Islam and Christianity. In comparing the role of tradition in Islam and Christianity, key themes are explored such as the roles of authority, fundamentalism, the use of reason, and ijtihad (independent thinking).

This book is unique in offering a comparative exploration of the role of tradition in Islam and Christianity. The author draws on a variety of primary and secondary sources including contemporary newspaper and journal articles, documents and letters, adding an immediacy to a lucid and stimulating text. Drawing on past and present evidence, and using Christian tradition as a focus for contrast and comparison, Ian R. Netton highlights the seemingly paradoxical harmony between tradition and itjihad in Islam.