Wageeh Y. F. Mikhail
- Christianity
- Egypt
- Male
- Egypt
- Northern Africa
- KAICIID Fellows
Biography Narrative
Director of the Center for Middle Eastern Christianity at the Presbyterian seminary in Cairo
Wageeh was born in upper Egypt and after having finished high school, left to Cairo where he enrolled at the Evangelical Theological Seminary, the Presbyterian seminary of the Presbyterian Church in Egypt. There, he did five years of Christian ministry. In 1999, he went to Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, where he obtained his master’s degree in theology. He then deepened his theological studies by obtaining another master’s degree in theological studies from Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, USA. In 2004, he went back to Egypt to teach at the Presbyterian Seminary. In 2009, he started his doctorate studies in Christian-Muslim relationship in the Middle Ages. He obtained his PhD in 2013. Dr. Mikhail is the director of the Center for Middle Eastern Christianity at the Presbyterian seminary in Cairo. At the center, Dr. Mikhail organizes many interfaith gatherings and ecumenical conferences. Dr. Mikhail has published and translated seven books covering a wide range of theological topics.
Interreligious Activities and Initiatives
Christian-Muslim Relations: Selected Texts from the Middle Ages
Produced a book on Christian-Muslim relations in the Middle Ages. The book contains texts written by Christian and Muslim scholars as early as the 8th century. These texts treaties to a fact that is much needed in contemporary Christian-Muslim dialogue. Christian and Muslims scholars showed deep understanding to each other’s religion. There were no stereotyping, generalization, misunderstanding, etc. My book will include an equal number of original texts written by Christian and Muslim scholars in the formative period of Islamic and Arabic thought. Once might ask about the use of such book, especially given the fact that these text are written in the Middle Ages. There are many benefits to this project. First, it sheds light on some neglected and unstudied texts. Second, these texts shows a great level of mutual understating reached by Christians and Muslims in the Arab World in the Middle Ages. The book will include works by Timothy I (8th century), Abu Qurrah (9th century), Ali ibn Rabban al-Tabri (9th century) and others.