Book Review: Encountering the World of Islam by Richard Keith E. Swartley

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

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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.

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[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.