Great Debate: A Nineteenth-Century Defense of Christianity by a Renowned Muslim Convert

Mawlwῑ ‘Imad-ud-Dῑn Lahiz – a devout Sufi Muslim convert, scholar and relentless seeker after the truth – holds an important place in the history of South Asian Christianity, particularly his role after the Great Agra Debate of 1854. Immersed in Urdu primary sources, Ibn Hikmat examines Lahiz’s unique contributions to Christian-Muslim debates, especially on issues of abrogation, the textual integrity of the Bible, and the Trinity, Quran and Muhammad. This work challenges established narratives about the outcome of the Great Debate and broadens understanding of indigenous South Asian Christian theology. This well-presented argument for the theological impact of Lahiz meets a critical need in both historical and theological scholarship by recovering the voice of an indigenous South Asian Christian convert and challenges dominant, Western-centric narratives of nineteenth-century Muslim-Christian encounters.