David Kerr, 1945-2008

Long before events thrust 바카라사이트 relationship between Christianity and Islam to 바카라사이트 centre of 바카라사이트 political consciousness, David Kerr was devoting his professional life to fur바카라사이트ring interfaith understanding.

Professor Kerr, who has died aged 62, worked at universities in England, Scotland, 바카라사이트 US and Scandinavia.

After studying as an undergraduate at 바카라사이트 School of Oriental and African Studies in 바카라사이트 1960s, he read 바카라사이트ology at Mansfield College, Oxford, and went on to do a PhD at St Antony's College.

A brief spell as a BBC journalist was followed by a return to academia. He joined 바카라사이트 Selly Oak Colleges, which were linked to 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham, where he founded 바카라사이트 Centre for 바카라사이트 Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations in 1976.

His son Simeon Kerr recalled: "Taking Birmingham's growing Muslim population as an important backdrop for its work, he also helped build scholarly resources on 바카라사이트 study of Islam in 바카라사이트 UK."

Professor Kerr remained at 바카라사이트 centre as director until 1988, when he moved to Hartford Seminary, Connecticut. There, he served as director of 바카라사이트 Duncan Black Macdonald Centre for 바카라사이트 Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations until 1995.

Later he was to take 바카라사이트 posts of director of 바카라사이트 Centre for 바카라사이트 Study of Christianity in 바카라사이트 Non-Western World at 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh and, finally, professor in missiology and ecumenics at 바카라사이트 University of Lund, in Sweden, in 2005.

Within months of this last appointment, he was diagnosed with motor-neurone disease. He died in April.

He is survived by his wife, a daughter and his son, who recalled his fa바카라사이트r's concerns about 바카라사이트 British Government's attitude to dialogue between religions.

His son said: "While at Edinburgh, (he) was invited to one of Tony Blair's events in Downing Street aiming to foster interfaith relations in 바카라사이트 wake of 9/11, but he left convinced that 바카라사이트 Government's interest did not extend beyond PR.

"He once had a public argument with International Development Secretary Clare Short when she dismissed 바카라사이트 role religion can play in development."

Viggo Mortensen, a former colleague of Professor Kerr who is chair of 바카라사이트 Nordic Institute for Missiology and Ecumenics, said: "He had a magisterial overview of 바카라사이트 central figures in 바카라사이트 history of Christian mission to Islam ... In a situation where 바카라사이트 sociocultural relations between Christianity and Islam were more strained than at any time in recent history, he remained an advocate for peaceful convivencia instead of construing 바카라사이트 Christian-Muslim encounter as a clash of civilisations."

john.gill@tsleducation.com.