Rate My Professor Martin Accad

Dr. Martin Accad serves as President and Professor of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations at the Near East School of Theology in Beirut, Lebanon, effective September 1, 2024. Born in Lebanon, he grew up during the civil war from 1975 to 1990. He earned a Bachelor of Theology from the Near East School of Theology between 1992 and 1996, a Master of Philosophy in Eastern Christian Studies from the University of Oxford between 1996 and 1998, and a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Oxford between 1998 and 2001, with research on the interpretation of the Gospels by Muslims from the eighth to the fourteenth centuries. Previously, Accad held positions at the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary as Chief Academic Officer and Academic Dean from 2001 to 2020, Associate Professor of Islamic Studies from 2008 to 2020, and Director of the Institute of Middle East Studies. Since 2007, he has been an Affiliate Associate Professor of Islamic Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary. In 2021, he founded and became Director of Action Research Associates in Beirut.

Accad's academic specializations encompass Islamic studies and Christian-Muslim relations. His major publications include the books Sacred Misinterpretation: Reaching across the Christian-Muslim Divide (Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2019) and The Religious Other: A Biblical Understanding of Islam, the Qur’an and Muhammad (Langham Global Library, 2020). Selected articles feature “Christian Attitudes toward Islam and Muslims: A Kerygmatic Approach” in Toward Respectful Understanding and Witness among Muslims (2012), “The Gospels in the Muslim Discourse of the Ninth to the Fourteenth Centuries: An Exegetical Inventorial Table” (Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations, 2003), and “Corruption and/or Misinterpretation of the Bible: The Story of the Islamic Usage of Tahrif” (Near East School of Theology Theological Review, 2003). He received the full Langham Research Scholarship from 1999 to 2001, along with partial scholarships from the World Council of Churches and Bridges of Peace International. Accad is fluent in English, French, and Arabic, with working knowledge of German, Classical Syriac, Biblical Hebrew, and Koine Greek for academic purposes.