SYLVANUS
GATORWU
JANUARY
20, 2020
THEO5232.01
SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY: CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAM
REV.
PAGE BROOKS, PhD.
Book
Review
Book
Title: Encountering the World of Islam
Author:
Richard. Keith E.
Swartley
.
Description:
Written
by Richard Keith E. Swartley, the book
– “Encountering the
World of Islam” was published by
“InterVasity Press” in 2005 through the Caleb Project. This particular edition,
the e-book from the SUM library has 619 pages consisting of 12 lessons and
an appendix that is loaded with 18 figures and tables and 20 concepts on various
important topical issues that would enlighten anyone seeking further knowledge
on how to find common grounds within Islam and Christianity to use as a tool
for missionary exploits. The book has 80 different contributors writing on
various topics, adding to the richness of its content.
Thesis: Encountering the World
of Islam has a way of making the reader identify with the writer. It is like a
walk with the reader from his or her location into the core of the Islamic
community. It attends to the all-important subject of the history of Mohammed,
the Prophet of Islam. The historical narration is so well done; it gives the
reader a reason to comprehend the battles fought today by the Islamic cluster
of groups. As one journeys through the pages, the question of “exactly what do
Muslims want” is answered. Swartley does a good job explaining the woes of the
Islamic community as he aligns these woes to the Bible. Most importantly, he
points out what can best be described as God’s heart cry for Muslims as he
drives the leader with a hunger to intercede for the Islamic world. The works
of other authors are found in the book. These help the reader to have a good
geographic and demographics of the Islamic community from the Arab world,
through Southeast Asia to down to the African continent.
Summary: The book
is divided into four main areas of three lessons in each of the four. These are
“Development
of Islam,” “Expressions of Islam,” “Christianity and Islam” and “Our Response.”
Being written in a school textbook format, the book comes with further
readings, assignments and has an approach that would make it welcomed even
within Muslim circles.
Being emphatic
that we need to read “we need to look at the world through a different lens” to
be able to understand Islam,[5] the author takes time to answer the questions
of what influenced Muhammad to develop into the leader he became, as to whether
there is anything appreciable about Mohammed if the direction of Muhammad’s
life differed from the course chosen by Christ, and what the Christians
attitude toward Muhammad should be. All these questions and more are answered
perfectly without any antagonism.
The
author is frank enough to state that, his intention is not for the reader to agree
with Islam but for the reader to have a “deep and lasting relationships with
Muslims.”[1].
He goes very deep into Mohammad’s revelations, his journeys and what the Quran
says. Striking is the author’s piece on Mohammad’s relationship with Jews and
Christians. Mohammad is seen expecting that Jews and Christians would “affirm
his message”[2].
This does not happen, and it culminates into a complex fight for acceptance.
All this happens with journeys around Mecca and Madina. His family life,
genogram, eventual loses of his uncle and wife is all given a detailed look by
the author.
“I
am a man like you.” Is a quote provided by the author to prove Mohammad did not
present himself as a supernatural person? This is backed by the fact that he is
stated as not having to perform any miracle to prove his being a prophet[3].
He rather evolves into a ruler looking for acceptance with a message of
“submission to Allah”. This acceptance is what he eventually finds at Yathrib
as many now submit to him[4].
One
striking thing that emerges from the book is that the seeming hostile nature
of Islam did not just happen. It seems to have evolved from people not
accepting the message of Allah and his prophet, and in answer to this
hostility, he gets a revelation from Allah to “contend against the infidels…and
be rigorous with them” (Sura 9:73, Rodwell)”[5].
Mohammed receives further revelations from Allah that will send him on a
mission eradicate all idolaters and literally force all to submit to Allah. In
this revelation, he is to “…kill those who join other gods with God wherever ye
shall find them,….but if they shall convert and observe prayer and pay the
obligatory alms,” he is to “let them go their
way” (Sura 9:5, Rodwell). The purpose of this command was to put an end to
idolatry. After his death on June 8,632[6],
Islam continued to advance and has done so till date.
Jesus
Christ, surprisingly is never criticized within Islamic circles[7],
he is seen as a Prophet, like Moses, He is Messenger, Prophet, Servant, Word of
truth, Spirit of God, Son of Mary, and the Messiah. He was born of a virgin, he
worked miracles, and he was taken up alive into heaven.”[8]
After
Mohammad’s death, Islam spread vigorously, the author quotes Kenneth Cragg’s
reason for the massive spread as “the Christian failure of the church”[9]
Swartley is
careful to also mention the crusades and how the Muslim community still
remembers it. He says “Although they ended
more than seven hundred years ago, for many Muslims it is as if they
happened only yesterday.” This seems to be part of the reason for the defence
stance by the Islamic community worldwide.[10]
The
book takes a deep dive into Islamic believes, and Christian believes, finding
those that are common, those that are very important to the Muslim and giving a
friendly approach to reach out to the Muslim community. The Muslim is thus seen
as a friend and not an enemy in the light of the book. He touches on the
Hadiths, the Sharia and the five pillars of faith. Controversial enough, the
author digs out (Sura 2:256, Pickthall)
which says “There is no compulsion in religion”[11]
Surprisingly,
the five pillars of Islam seem to have a lot in common with Biblical
foundations.[12]
1. Confession
(Shahada) “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!”
(Deut. 6:4).
2. Prayer
(Salat) “Pray continually” (1 Thess. 5:17, Matt. 6:5–6).
3. Fasting
(Saum) “When you fast..” (Matt. 6:16–18).
4. Giving
(Zakat) “When you give to the needy” (Matt. 6:3–4).
5. Pilgrimage
(Hajj) “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims” (1
Peter 2:11–12, NKJV).
These five
pillars are different from the fundamentals of faith of Islam which are 16 in
number.
This second part
of the book focuses on the community of Islam, its spreading methods,
contributions to education and the best approach to reach out to the Islamic
community. Valuable contributions in the field of Mathematics, Medical Science, Architecture, Chemistry, Natural history, and Geography and more are well
expressed in the book.
Of
much concern to the author is the issue of stumbling blocks to reaching
Muslims, Waleed Nassar who contributes
to this part of the book lists ten things that puts Muslims off from Christianity.
One interesting fact among the ten is that “Americans are virtually
addicted to entertainment, and, unfortunately, this has invaded the church both
practically and theologically”[13].
Biases, strengths, weaknesses, audience, and
personal insights or extrapolations.
The letter from
a Muslim at the tail end of lesson 11 is an epitome of the many hearts that
would turn to Jesus if Christians would take time to study more about
Christianity itself. The author, in my opinion, has been very intellectual and welcoming
in his approach. The other contributors have added to this gentle tone of the
book. This piece of work passes for excellent work almost without a spot.
I feel it falls short of creating
the impression that Allah and the Biblical Yahweh are one. This is not
expressly stated but implied. In other similar materials where the aim is to
prove the difference between the “Biblical God” and the “Islamic God”, Swartley
has been very cunning, albeit with good intentions. This, in my opinion, can be a
“banana peel” for the Christian who is vulnerable to false doctrine.
The strength of the book is that it is quite
clear and straight forward. Swartley.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Swartley, Keith E., ed. Encountering the World of
Islam. PRINT-ON-DEMAND edition. Downers Grove: IVP Books, 2005.
[1] Keith E. Swartley, ed., Encountering
the World of Islam, PRINT-ON-DEMAND edition. (Downers Grove: IVP Books,
2005), 5.
[2] Ibid., 10.
[3] Ibid., 19.
[4] Ibid., 20.
[5] Ibid., 22.
[6] Ibid., 27.
[7] Ibid., 35.
[8] Ibid.
[9] Ibid., 50.
[10] Ibid., 56.
[11] Ibid., 79.
[12] Ibid., 94.
[13] Ibid., 237.
