When I started my career, I was interested in the figure of Abraham/Ibrahim and how he could be a bridge figure between Christians, Jews and Muslims. However, as I wrote my book on "The Bible and the Qur'an: Biblical Figures in the Islamic Tradition," I became more interested in the figure of Mary and how she could bring Christians and Muslims together. This led me to the work of Rita George-Tvrtkovic, especially her book "Christian, Muslims and Mary" and subsequent articles. I sit down with Rita to learn about her innovative scholarship, institutional roles and recent academic interests. Subscribe to A Common Word podcast which is available on the major podcast streaming services, such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify Order my book “The Islamic Mary: Maryam Through the Centuries” Visit the Maydan website for more podcasts, blogs and videos. Visit my website to learn more about my bio, research, and blogs. Join my listserve to be updated about my research, speaking and publications, especially my forthcoming book on the Islamic Mary. Thanks for listening to A Common Word Podcast!