The second religion in the world, Islam has long occupied the minds of Christians. Dating back to 610 AD, when Muhammad is said to have received his first revelations from God, the faith quickly conquered Christian lands in the Middle East, North Africa and Europe, establishing both religions on an antagonistic basis that continued through the eras of the caliphates. , crusades and colonization.
Originally, Muhammad viewed his communications with God as a continuation of the message received through biblical tradition, calling Jews and Christians “People of the Book.” But even as the treatment of non-Muslims has spanned periods of peace and persecution, the teaching of the Quran has ensured theological distinction. Islam views Jesus only as a human prophet and denies his crucifixion.
Yet there are many things that unite Christians and Muslims. The five pillars of Islam embrace monotheism, prayer, fasting, almsgiving and pilgrimage. Some expressions desire mystical communion with God, while others pursue pietistic fidelity to his law. Both religions seek to spread faith and care for society, anticipating the coming judgment. And while followers of every faith debate the place of activism, history clearly bears witness to the blood shed in the name of God.
Although Islam has not experienced the same levels of schism as Christianity, Muslims debate – and divide – within what they call the umma, the global community of Islam.
Muslim diversity is also cultural. Although Islam originated in present-day Saudi Arabia and is generally associated with the Arab Middle East, the most populous Muslim nation is Indonesia, and its highest growth rate is in Africa. Nearly 50 countries have a Muslim majority, while significant minorities exist in India and China, with Islam established through the migration of communities and individual conversions in Europe and the Americas. Each region has put its unique stamp on the religion, and Muslims face the same popular trends toward syncretism and secularism as those experienced by Christians.
In the following series of book lists, CT asked regional experts to select the best resources for evangelical Christians to understand and learn about Islam, both from Muslims themselves and from Christians who have dedicated years to building relationships with the community.
The selected books not only offer paths to evangelization but also encourage cooperation for the common good. They reflect the diversity of Islam and, to some extent, the diversity of evangelical approaches to Islam. Although none bears the stamp of our full support, we offer them – to Muslims and Christians alike – in the hope of better understanding, better peace and better love between our two communities.
Read well, pray and discern.
Expert biographies:
Peter Riddell (Southeast Asia) is Emeritus Professor of the London School of Theology, Senior Research Fellow at the Australian College of Theology, editor and author of 17 books, including Islam and the Malaysian-Indonesian world And Islam in Context. Peter is currently preparing a history of Christian-Muslim relations in Southeast Asia for Oxford University Press.
Godwin O. Adeboye (Africa) is currently African Regional Coordinator in the undergraduate department of the Center for Religion and Public Life at Oxford, where he also carries out his doctoral work, researching a theological model for the survival of Christian missions in Islamic political contexts.
Martin Accad (Middle East) is associate professor of Islamic studies at the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary of Lebanon. He is the author of Mistaken sacred interpretation: overcoming the divide between Christians and Muslims and co-editor of The religious other: a biblical understanding of Islam, the Koran and Mohammed.
Biswajit Patra (South Asia)researcher at the South Asian Institute of Advanced Christian Studies, has lived and served the Muslim community for over 25 years in West Bengal, India.
Colin Edwards (Europe) is a Missions Lecturer in the UK whose dissertation and ministry focus on Muslim/Christian relations, with particular attention to socio-cultural aspects, interfaith dialogue and mission.
