Logo

 

Banner Image:   Baptist-Times-banner-2000x370-
Template Mode:   Baptist Times
Icon
    Post     Tweet

Between Naivety and Hostility: Uncovering the Best Christian Responses to Islam in Britain

An excellent study guide for churches working in a multi-faith-cum-multi-culture environment, and even better for churches which are not


Steve Bell and Colin Chapman (eds)
Authentic Media, Milton Keynes, 316pp, £8.99.
Reviewer: Alec Gilmore


Between naivetyAn excellent, thoughtful, practical and informative book at a modest price by 20 experienced Christian scholars and practitioners, all of whom have lived and worked among Muslims, at home and abroad, concluding that when all is said and done perhaps the simplest approach is the best — to remember that Jesus said the greatest commandment of all is to love our neighbour, energetically to practice it and encourage others to do the same.

To get there, however, calls for patience and understanding but these writers know the score and their stories, comments and attitudes point us in the right direction. Key words are witness, service and dialogue, listening and learning, and if the best way to allay the fears of many people is to learn more about Islam, to relate to Muslims on a personal level and to steer a course between fear and hostility, every chapter demonstrates that that is by no means impossible. 

Part One tells us where to begin. Part Two addresses crucial issues, including the need to think of Muslims (every bit as varied as Christians) rather than Islam (no more homogeneous than Christianity); ‘Brent is not Leicester is not Bradford’.

Part Three offers examples of positive relationships, citing ‘integral mission’ in Birmingham, much of it among children and young people as they share experiences, air common problems and learn from one another; a story of changed lives rather than changed faiths, and all in a context where differences regarding truth, lying and deception are considered against a background of similar 19th century divisions between Catholics and Protestants and Bonhoeffer’s comments in the last chapter of Ethics on ‘Telling the Truth’.

An excellent study guide for churches working in a Multi-Faith-cum-Multi-Culture environment, and even better for churches which are not.


The Revd Alec Gilmore is a Baptist minister

 
    Post     Tweet
Giving the Church, by Michael Moynagh
Giving the Church is a comprehensive critique of how the church at large presents itself to contemporary society
A Handful of Pennies, by Afaf Musallam
This Palestinian Christian Arab woman’s long journey searching for identity and peace works on several levels
Easter Inside Out: The story as if you were there, by David Kitchen
​​'If this kind of retelling scripture is something you have never tried, this is a great place to start'
Raised to Stay, by Natalie Runion
The author uses her own trauma to reflect and share what she has learned; an engaging read but perhaps more suitable for a US context
365 Truths for Every Woman's Heart, by Holley Gerth
'A really useful resource that when everything gets too much in the day (or night), can provide a calming reminder of how God never leaves us or forsakes us'
Dwell, by Anne Le Tissier
'A good and helpful book encouraging readers to dwell consciously and without hurry in God’s Word'
    Posted: 21/03/2025
    Posted: 04/10/2024
     
    Text Size:  
    Small (Default)
    Medium
    Large
    Contrast:  
    Normal
    High Contrast