Toward a ‘Franciscan’ Engagement with Islam

In recent years, the encounter between Francis of Assisi & the Ayyubid Sultan al-Malik al-Kāmil has inspired many efforts to promote dialogue between Christians and Muslims. But theologically, is there a distinctively ‘Franciscan’ approach to Islam? This lecture turns back to the legacy of the French orientalist and Franciscan tertiary Louis Massignon (d. 1962), including three friars heavily influenced by their teacher: Jean-Mohammed Abd-el-Jalil (d. 1979), Giulio Basetti-Sani (d. 2001), & Martiniano Roncaglia (d. 2008). The lecture examines what role Francis of Assisi played in their theological vision, how these friars carried forward (or didn’t) some of Massignon’s seminal insights, and the relevance of this vision for the ongoing engagement of the Seraphic family with Muslims.

Jason Welle is Assistant Professor of Comparative Theology at Boston College (USA), where he has taught since 2023.