Understanding Islam

THE RELIGIOUS OTHER:
A Biblical Understanding of Islam, the Qur’an and Muhammad.
Editors Martin Accad and Jonathan Andrews
Langham Global Library. 530 pages. £25.99 ISBN 978 1 783 687 909

Locating the audience for this book is difficult. Most church leaders are not able to understand the issues that the book deals with. Seminaries are too restricted in their teaching of Christian or Biblical subjects to give justice to the deep orthodox theological issues that are raised and do not have the time or inclination to change their curricula.

However, there are two kinds of people that would welcome this book:

Those who through failure in ministry reaching out to Muslim people have finally got a source of information as to how to correct their understanding and approaches. It provides examples from history including Roberto de Nobilli in India, Reichert in from the Life of Karl Thailand – Lessons Reichelt (1877–1952), Water Buffalo by Kasumo in Thailand, The Koran in the Light of Christ by Bassetti Sani in the Arab world and Ethiopian Christ by Shaikh Zakariyya.

Enabling deeper study

Martin and Jonathan now give us comprehensive sources to begin to seriously study the issues that affect Muslims and Christians alike. Each chapter opens the door to deeper enquiry and study, which changes attitudes, adds skills and provides a counter to the prevailing ideologies that pit one against the other, and instead makes for meaningful exchanges in the marketplace.

The second group who would welcome this book are those churches in the Englishspeaking world led by dutiful pastors, mission pastors and committees, as well as potential missionaries, all of whom need to be aware of icebergs floating around in the sea of theological and missiological studies that lead to conflict, hatred and embattlement. The book adds depth to this need, and missions to Islam will never be the same.

This book is a reminder of a growing dialogue between Christianity and Islam. This has led to a more nuanced understanding of Islam by Christians. It has also laid a foundation for Muslims to join the dots concerning references to Jesus in the Qur’an, which some have daringly called the ‘Christianisation’ of Islam.