| Abstract | Paper -a:
The current study examines the role of Christian delegations to the Prophet Muḥammad in creating theological dialogues between Islam and Christianity. It argues that the first direct encounter between the Prophet Muḥammad and a Christian delegation was in Mecca during the early period of his preaching to Islam in Mecca unlike what most Western scholars believe that the meeting between the Prophet and Christian groups began later in Medina after 1 AH/ 622 CE. The study will trace Christian groups who met the Prophet during the two periods of Islamic call, either in Mecca or Medina. It will discuss the purposes behind those meetings and explore to what extent there were religious issues' dialogues between Islam and Christianity, and whether there were any reflections in Qur'an behind these meetings. Also, the study will evaluate the role of such meetings in establishing the criteria for Muslim-Christian religious dialogue, at least from Muslim point of view.
Paper -b:
The Liber vaccae is the translation of the Kitāb al-nawāmīs, a technical manual attributed to Plato that provides instructions for becoming like a prophet who facilitates extraordinary experiences. In addition to interacting with spirits and foretelling the future, the performer of the text's procedures can radically alter the environment: he may cause eclipses, summon or stop rainfall, and sow seeds that sprout and bear flowers and fruit in one hour. My paper will explore how the Liber vaccae negotiates whether its goals for manipulating the natural world are the products of supernatural powers or technological knowledge.
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