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2013 Pre-reading and Presentations
- A Painful Divide Facing an Impossible Task – Benjamin Hegeman
Since AD 630, the Church historic faces two impossible ‘mission tasks’ that only God can achieve: first, bring Muslims into the kingdom of God –probably kicking and screaming, and second, bring unity amongst those ministering to Muslims –with yet more kicking and screaming. It is very evident to those called to Muslim ministry in our generation that there is not only a present divide in how to minister to them but an uncertainty of how we got here… - Historical Solutions to Problem Texts – C Jonn Block
This paper surveys four problem texts in the Qur’an and addresses specific translation and Christian‐ Muslim dialogue issues that are attached to them. Firstly, the root of the idea that Allah of the Qur’an and Yahweh of the Bible are not the same objective referent is found in the historical dialogue texts surrounding an adjective of Allah in Q112. Secondly, Q4:171 and 5:73 have been key verses used in dichotomising Unitarian Monotheism against Trinitarian Monotheism. Thirdly, Q9:30 is the only Qur’anic verse to seemingly correct the metaphorical presentation of Jesus as Son of God. These problem texts sit on the three primary tiers of Christian‐Muslim dialogue issues… - Reinterpreting the Prophet Muhammad – Zharmenov
Today there are more than one billion Muslims in the world. This is the largest group of people that remains among the most resistant to the Christian message. Centuries of evangelistic attempts of the church brought forth very insignificant fruit in terms of Muslim conversion to Christianity. However, a good number of articles have been circulating recently in missions periodicals describing a new phenomenon of “Muslim Christians’ or Messianic Muslims who may represent a turning point in Muslim outreach… - Response to “Reinterpreting the Prophet Muhammad” – L. D. Waterman with reply by Zharmenov
I read with great interest Marlen Z’s ThM thesis, “Reinterpreting the ‘Prophet’ Muhammad for C5/Insider Movement.” I appreciate many things about it, but would also note a few concerns and issues that seem to me to constitute significant weaknesses in the thesis… - It is Biblically Wrong for Followers of Jesus to Confess Muhammad as God’s Messenger – Daniel Atiyaye
If Muhammad’s message points people away from the true gospel rather than toward it, how does this not fit the biblical description of a false prophet/apostle, and how is it therefore not biblically wrong for followers of Jesus to continue to confess him as God’s messenger? - The Iranian Diaspora Church: A Case Study – Roy Oksnevad Iranians may well be the largest ethnic group coming out of an Islamic background that has responded to the Gospel of Jesus Christ since the Javanese Indonesians in the 1960-1970s. This in-depth case study gives a careful looks at the dynamics of this movement.
- WEA Panel Report Abridged for BtD 2013
Report to WEA for Conveyance to Wycliffe Global Alliance and SIL Int’l from the WEA Global Review Panel An Abridgment for the Bridging the Divide Consultation 2013 Rev. David Hackett.
Links
- Some Ways Muslim Followers of Christ View the Shahada
The BtD reading was an edited version of much the same material as pages 70-74 of “Biblical Muslims” by Rick Brown. - A Jesus Movement Among Muslims: Research from Eastern Africa – Ben Naja
This short account, originally presented at BtD 2013, briefly shows how a Jesus movement in eastern Africa began and then grew over a thirty-year period. It also shares the preliminary findings of an in-depth study that shows how these Muslim followers of Jesus spread their faith in evangelism, meet for fellowship, and relate to the wider Muslim community. - Sixteen Features of Belief and Practice in Two Movements among Muslims in Eastern Africa: What Does the Data Say? – Ben Naja
This second article, originally presented at BtD 2013, describes sixteen features of belief and practice identified in two movements, including the one documented in the previous article. It then touches on three vital issues that can contribute to the ongoing discussion concerning “insider movements. - Summary of Research on BtD-related Topics – by David Garrison
The content of these presentations (+ more) is available in Garrison’s new book, A Wind in the House of Islam. Also, click here to watch an interview on the subject with David Garrison.