A Christian Scholar of Islam
Hello, I'm Dr. Chris PreJean. My last name might look a bit unusual, but it's easy to say: "pray-john," with the 'j' like the 'g' in 'genre.' PreJean. Got it? Brilliant!
I am a scholar of Islam and Arabic, speaker, tutor, and Executive Director of a multi-faith initiative. I completed a Ph.D. in Arabic at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2021. I specialize in Islamic law and the Christians and Jews who’ve lived under it. I spent the last decade preparing to educate Christians about Islam, and to show why understanding Islam is crucial to living a dignified life. My goal is to strengthen religious literacy and ecumenical dialogue in America and across the globe. I speak to individuals, institutions, and organizations to provide foundational knowledge of Islam to promote strong academic and personal relationships with Muslims. My work is rooted in God’s mercy (Luke 10: 36-37).
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
I HAVE SERVED OR BEEN AWARDED BY:
Religious literacy and meaningful relationships between faith groups are severely lacking across global cultures
Build a better world by bringing mutual understanding despite deep differences
Speaking & Events
Educational + Informed Keynotes, Group Discussion, Podcasts, & Interviews that make a local + global impact.
I WORK WITH AMAZING PEOPLE AND GROUPS
The United States Department of Education. Fulbright. UCLA Library. Higher education institutions. Ivy-league professors. Scholars of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Foreign governments. Museums. Academic publishers. And others just like you.
Our thought leaders & public figures need informed knowledge & relational experience
Over the past ten years, I’ve taught at one of America’s top institutions. There, I witnessed how politics mobilized religious identities to negatively impact people of different faiths, including my own. I’ve earned a Ph.D. to better educate Christians on how to appreciate another world religion and its adherents, without having to agree with it or fear critiquing it. Here’s what I learned:
Christians and Muslims are severely illiterate of one another’s traditions, symbols, beliefs, and practices. We have become sectarianized by political forces. The result is a politic of self-righteousness and fear that drives wedges between people who’d otherwise love one another and work together for a common purpose. Things are getting worse. But all is not lost. I educate my Christian brothers and sisters to be prudent in their merciful service to Muslims, in a call to a higher, nobler self.