Books Read in November 2009 (28)

1. The Practical Approach to Muslims by Jens Christensen

There are not many books I have found to be worth reading more than once for books are many and life is short. Here is an exceptional work which I first read when a missionary among Muslims in Nigeria. It is simply the best book I know on understanding Islam and taking the gospel to Muslims.

The author was a Danish Lutheran bishop who spent a lifetime of work on the North West Frontier of Pakistan. He writes as a Lutheran who holds a high view of Scripture but not as a believer in plenary verbal inspiration of Scripture. But I do not see this in any way detracting from the superb value of the book except his view of politics is very Lutheran, two kingdoms. But this is a minor criticism of a book which will give the reader a deeper understanding of the gospel as well as of Islam.

Christensen is in no doubt that Allah of Mohammed is not the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Islam is submission to the inscrutable and sometimes changing will of Allah, the only sovereign. The gospel is the good news that we know God as Father through his Son by the work of his Spirit. Every word of theology the two faiths use has a different meaning, God, prayer, books, prophets, predestination, tradition. The Muslim sees the way to please Allah is to imitate the way of Mohammed. What he did, the Muslim must do. Christians do not follow Christ by What Did Jesus Do?

The fundamental conflict though is that God became man, He became flesh in Christ. The chapter on the virgin birth is the best I have ever read on the incarnation.

If you want to be a Christian witness to Muslims, this is the one book to study. Even if you have no Muslims near you it will be a benefit too.

Though published in 1977 it is based on lectures in the 1950s with a final 1960 chapter. So it is dated as is all pre-9/11 work on this subject but it remains invaluable.

2. Churchill's Black Dog by Anthony Storr

The author, a psychiatrist, has given a series of papers on creativity and mental health. His chapters on Churchill and Newton as worth the price of the book. If Churchill had not had an emotionally deprived childhood we might be speaking German now. He was a man who had to prove himself. Storr reminds us how close we were to a deal with Hitler in 1940. Churchill was resolute. Interestingly, just how bad things were does not come out in Winston's writings but Jenkin's biography makes it clear. I wonder also if Churchill's appetite never went to sexual excess because of his father's syphilis, something else the great man was quiet about. The chapter on Newton is a revelation. Some chapters are not so gripping but read it for WSC and Newton.

3. The Last Kingdom (Alfred the Great 1) by Bernard Cornwell

The master of historical fiction takes us to 9th century Britian. I have to call it that because we are not yet England. Northumbria falls to the Danes. So do the other kingdoms. Only Wessex holds out under Alfred, pious, clever and not very attractive here. He is learned and starts us for the first time as a naval power. Our hero and narrator is a Northumbrian lad who loses his family and inheritance in the conflict with the Danes. He gets a Danish upbringing, love for combat and a preference for their pagan gods. Christianity is not a faith for warriors. You learn the horror of invading Danes who loved to destroy churches for their treasure. You become conversant with the battle techniques of a shield wall and you learn a lot of the history of the formation of our nation.

4. Discipleship in Islamic Society by Samuel P Sclorff

A helpful booklet by a missionary to North Africa. It is a handbook for Muslim background believers but also a good introduction to Islam for the Christian. Differences in the faiths are well described but I believe the biggest difference, the doctrine of grace is not made clear. Also missing is the action of God in baptism. Baptism is not primarily the believer's witness to his faith. It is first and foremost God's witness to the salvation given in union with Christ.
The booklet teaches that MMBs should be in local churches and is a primer on church government.

5. Islam in Britain by M.A.Zaki Badawi

In this 1981 lecture introducing the subject to a British audience the late author estimates the British Muslim population at 1 to 1.5 million. Things have moved on but this remains a valuable short introduction as to the origins of Islam in this country. In his latter years, when principal of the Muslim College in Ealing, Badawi was often in the media as a spokesman for his religion and no-one seems to have replaced him. He explains the autonomy of each mosque and and the need for an officially representative body. So far the various groupings remain diverse and not practically united. He states that Muslim theology has not developed a view on how to live as a minority. The need remains though now Islam in the UK has a much higher profile. In 1981 the author could only look forward to Muslim members of both houses of parliament. I would dispute his claim that Islam is a universal religion. It is a very Arabian expression of faith which has spread world wide.

6. Christianity and Islam under colonialism in northern Nigeria
by Jan Harm Boer

This booklet was written in response to a Nigerian newspaper article in 1974 which the writer equated British colonialism in northern Nigeria with christianisation. Boer did his doctorate on the relation between colonialism and a Christian mission in this country and this booklet draws on that more detailed study. British missionaries were supporters of the colonial enterprise. They were children of their age. They especially welcomed it for putting an end to the slavery which is horrifically described here. But the British government chose to rule through the Muslim emirs and not to disturb their political hegemony by allowing the missionaries to evangelise. Missions were restricted to the area of followers of traditional African religion. The missionaries believed such restrictions unwarranted, a denial of religious liberty. They also objected to being told that for their own health they could not live within 440 yards of the locals. It was erroneously thought that mosquitoes could not fly that far.There was co-operation in some work. notably education but the missionaries were concerned that government grants meant government control and secularised education. The general conclusion of this book is that the colonial regime was more helpful to the spread of Islam rather than being in cahoots with Christian missionaries, some of whom took very courageous stands against the powers that be and on one occasion maintained discreet silence so as not to embarrass Britain in WWI. A most excellent small corrective to the myth of colonialism being the friend of Christian mission. Remember, the British kept Carey out of their India.

7. The love of God in the Qur'an and the Bible (Christianity and Islam) by John Gilchrist

The author shows from the Bible that God is love and through Jesus Christ we can be in son to father relationship with Him. There is no such possibility from the Quranic revelation.

8. The integrity of the Bible according to the Qur®an and the Hadith by Ghiyathuddin Adelphi

This booklet published in India makes extensive use of Quranic and Hadith texts to show the common Muslim slander that Jews and Christians have corrupted their Scriptures is unfounded. The case is argued well. A charge of false interpretation may be made against People of the Book, but not one of altering the text. Perhaps because this comes from India the reader is not told to simply go to the British Museum and view New testament codices from centuries before Mohammed. Their text is the same as today's Bible.

9. God has chosen me for everlasting life by Hamran Ambrie

Testimonies of Muslims who come to faith in Christ are usually interesting and this on from an Indonesian Muslim leader is no exception. Preparing to preach against the gospel he received inner conviction that Scripture has not been corrupted and is true. He recounts his struggles with the doctrines Muslims reject and how he came to see this is wrong. Unbeknown to him, other family members were also coming to faith. His whole family was baptised and he took a courageous stand for the truth in the face of Muslim friends who did not believe such a prominent man could become apostate from Islam.

10. The crucifixion of Christ: A fact, not fiction (Qur'an and Bible Series) by John Gilchrist

My copy is called The Crucifixion in the Quran and the Bible, 1981. The author is from South Africa and often, as hear, writes to answer the Muslim evangelist, the late Ahmad Diddat. Muslim theories that Jesus was nor crucified, but a substitute are countered as well as the ridiculous idea that Jesus did not die, merely passed out on the cross. Refuting error, the author preaches the true gospel that Jesus died for the sins of his people and was raised for their salvation.

11. The textual history of the Qur'an and the Bible (Qur'an and Bible series) by John Gilchrist

The author writes in response to the late Ahmed Deedat's, 'Is the Bible God's Word?'. The Christian church has preserved many very old manuscripts of the Bible predating Mohammed. The Muslims have selected only on Quranic text and destroyed others The Bible does not exist in various versions but different translations. Alleged errors and contradictions are refuted.

12. A Comparative Study of the Quran and the Bible by John Gilchrist

The message parallels the above book but also shows how Christians will stick with their earliest manuscripts though this may remove some previously cherished texts like the ending of Mark's Gospel. The Quran shows evidence of borrowing from Jewish non-biblical writings but also testifies that the Bible should be read. Nowhere does it say it has been altered.

13. Origins and sources of the Gospel of Barnabas by John Gilchrist

This spurious gospel is used by Muslims against the true Scripture. It claims to be apostolic but all the evidence points to a medieval origin in Spain or perhaps Italy. It quotes from Dante.

14.Is Muhammad foretold in the Bible?: A response to What the Bible says about Muhummed (Qur'an and Bible Series) by John Gilchrist

Jesus not Mohammed is the true fulfilment of the Deuteronomic promise of another prophet like Moses. Gilchrist again ably refutes Muslim claims for Mohammed. Neither is the Muslim's prophet the Comforter Jesus promised in John's Gospel. Only the Holy Spirit is in place of Christ in the world today.


15. The titles of Jesus in the Qur'an and the Bible (Christianity and Islam) by John Gilchrist

In the Quran Jesus is the Messiah. Word of God and a Spirit from God. These titles are greater than those of Mohammed. In the Bible he is Son of Man and Son of God to show perfect humanity and deity in the one person. Son of God does not imply sexual origin but likeness to the Father.

16. The Christian view of the Eid sacrifice (Christianity and Islam) by John Gilchrist

Abraham was commanded to sacrifice his only son. This was Isaac, son of the promise, not Ishmael, son of the slave. God then provided the lamb, a foretelling of his sending his Son, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The significance of the Eid sacrifice is not man giving something to God, but God providing the sacrifice to take away sin.

17. The temple, the Ka'aba, and the Christ (Christianity and Islam) by John Gilchrist

The temple of Jerusalem is put in historic context as is Jesus' attitude to it. The Kaaba is claimed to be the place where Abraham worshipped. it is shown to be an Arab idol shrine. At first Mohammed faced Jerusalem in prayer. Only after Jewish opposition in Medina did the prophet face Mecca. Finally Christ is shown to be the one to be worshipped in spirit and truth.

18. Our approach to Islam - Charity or Militancy by John Gilchrist

This 1990 booklet was written in response to the development of militant Islam, a phenomenon which sadly is now daily in our news. Islam is inherently militant. The concept of jihad being only personal and spiritual is linked to a publication as recent as 1948 for its origins. The Christian way should be one of tolerance and respect. Gilchrist considers whether Allah is the creator God and says he is the one true God, but without a Trinitarian understanding through Christ he is not really known. He denies that the Muslim's God is an idol or a demon and is critical of Christians who teach this and who refuse halal food. His message is that the Christian response is love not militancy.

19. The Cross in the Gospel and the Quran by Iskandar Jadeed

Muslims deny that God would let a prophet be put to death. God made someone take the likeness of Jesus and be put to death. The author shows proof from the Bible that the Quranic understanding is wrong for it was the will of God that his Son should suffer and die for our sins.

20. God and Christ by Iskandar Jadeed

Answers to Muslims' questions, about God, Trinity and Christ. The true gospel is given in answer. I do not though consider that science teaches any purpose to the universe. That is not what science is about.

21. Evidences for the collection of the Qur'an by John Gilchrist

This is a small beginning to Quranic textual criticism. It tells how the book was compiled, how Uthman standardised the text by burning variants and the different codex of Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud. The missing stoning verses are discussed and other variant readings.

22. The Gospel of Barnabas: " a false testimony " by Iskandar Jadeed

The Gospel of Barnabas did nit exist before the 15th century, The author as an apostate Christian turned Muslim. It contradicts the gospels, It also contradicts the Quran.

23. Blood on the Holy Land: Report on the Visit by a Delegation of British Muslims to Occupied Palestine, 24th Rajab-2nd Sha'ban 1408/13th-20th March 1988 by Ibrahim Hewitt

The author is an English convert to Islam. He recounts a visit of British Muslims to Palestine and Israel in 1988. We are now in a different situation but the message here is one of Israeli oppression. Nothing is said about the plight of Christian Arabs. Islam is seen as the hope for peace. It is said to be the most tolerant religion.

24. A chronology of Christian outreach to the Arab world 37AD to 1941 by David Morriss

A fascinating account of the growth and history of the church among the Arabs. It shows the decline brought about by Islam and the history of missions, particularly to North Africa until 1980. Very informative.

25. The new vitality of Islam in Black Africa and its pastoral implications by Victor Mertens

This is a 1980 study by a Roman Catholic based in Zaire whch examines the reasons for the growth of Islam in black Africa and the response his church should make. It is a good and insightful analysis for the reasons Islam has grown. Passing years have not significanly affected these reasons. He calls for Christians to continue Afican tolerance and for the whole church, not only clergy, to be evangelistic in word and deed. This Protestant wholly concurs.

26 Muslims and Christians at the Table: Promoting Biblical Understanding among North American Muslims by Bruce A McDowell and Anees Zaka

Probably the best book to read for any Christian wanting to witness to Muslims. It suffers a little from its American context but any Brit can contextualise. Good analysis of Muslims and their cultures in the West. The comparative theologies are taught and very practical ways of witness. Of particular interest is the concept of Meetings for Mutual Understanding as these are corporate witness and promote social cohesion as well as friendship evangelism.

27. Ford County by John Grisham

Grisham is at his best in the Deep South. However I found six of the seven short stories to be disappointing. They were all about rather unsavoury characters and there was more sex than usual from Grisham. We had drunken youths, bent and ruthless lawyers, an execution, gambling and deceit. It was not uplifting. But the last story is worth the price of the book. Grisham ends with a very Christian story set in a very unchristian town. An old black woman cares for a white man dying from AIDS. The whole town shuns them. The lady gets a taste for wine and makes a surprising confession.

28. The Collaborator by Gerald Seymour

I have read all of Seymour's thrillers and he continues to be the top man in my estimation. For once he has left a topical terrorism or war setting and gone to the mob controlled city of Naples. It is enought to put you off going as a tourist. The theft, extortion and extreme volience are threatening. As ever a gripping read. As usual different unrelated charcters are brought together at the end but this time it is only really two threads to be woven together so it makes for a simpler read.