HIU and Professor David Grafton Quoted in Article on The Making of Islamophobia

Hartford International University for Religion and Peace and Professor of Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations David D. Grafton are prominently featured in a The Christian Century article titled "The making of Islamophobia" by Anna Piela and Michael Woolf, authors of Confronting Islamophobia in the Church: Liturgical Tools for Justice, who interviewed Grafton last year about his research and recent book Muhammad in the Seminary: Protestant Teaching about Islam in the Nineteenth Century.

 The Christian Century feature situates Grafton’s new book, Muhammad in the Seminary, as a scholarly resource in understanding how American Protestant seminaries taught about Islam in the 19th century. Drawing on extensive archival research, Grafton shows that early seminary instruction about Muhammad and the Qurʾan was “usually negative and pejorative,” portraying Islam as “alien and backward.” Yet by the end of that century, such views became “more complicated and nuanced,” revealing a broader range of sources and teaching styles than previously assumed.

Grafton profiles several 19th-century figures in his work whose teachings shaped clergy perceptions of Islam. For example, John DeWitt and Samuel M. Woodbridge drew on deeply biased sources that framed Muslims as destructive and inferior, while other educators perpetuated stereotyped claims about Muslim societies or avoided engaging directly with Islamic primary texts altogether. In sum, Grafton argues that seminary curricula often reinforced long-standing Christian prejudices rather than encouraging genuine theological engagement.

 The Christian Century article highlights HIU as a leading institution working to reverse this legacy of inaccurate and Islamophobic teaching. It names Hartford International University for Religion and Peace alongside Luther Seminary and Chicago Theological Seminary as seminaries that now offer Islamic studies programs designed both for Muslim students and for Christians preparing for ministry. Importantly, HIU is noted for offering the only Islamic chaplaincy degree in the United States, accredited for roles such as U.S. military chaplaincy—a milestone in interfaith professional training.

The forthcoming book, Confronting Islamophobia in the Church: Liturgical Tools for Justice, calls the church to address anti-Muslim prejudice, offering historical context, theological reflection, and practical liturgical resources to foster justice and solidarity. Published in January 2026, the work challenges congregations and clergy to move beyond fear and misunderstanding toward interfaith engagement.