Dynamics of Muslim Worlds: Regional, Theological, and Missiological Perspectives (Missiological Engagements)
Review “Dynamics of Muslim Worlds displays an actual, intriguing reality that Christian believers avoid while offering some innovative and challenging ways to interact, love, and reach Muslims for Jesus.” — Tiago Albuqerque, The Journal of Ministry & Theology, Spring 2018 Christians in the West have many questions about the identity of Islam and Muslim societies. Due in part to misleading media reports and a lack of interreligious dialogue, a majority of Western Christians view Islam as more prone to violence. The perplexity is compounded by news of violent conflicts involving Muslim communities in various parts of the world. Discussions about Muslims in the media often give the impression that Islam is a single, uniform entity.The reality is that global Islam is a complex and diverse phenomenon, not a monolithic one. Unfortunately, what makes the headlines often shapes Christian mission strategies that are overshadowed, if not controlled, by such reports. The challenge for understanding Islam is further complicated by the fact that an already very diverse Islam across the world stage is fluid and dynamic, with changes motivated as much by Islamic agency from within as by forces impinging “from without.”Dynamics of Muslim Worlds brings together leading missiologists, theologians, and historians from the 2016 Missiology Lectures at Fuller Theological Seminary’s School of Intercultural Studies to present a nuanced account of contemporary Muslim societies. Edited by Evelyne A. Reisacher, the contributions to this Missiological Engagements volume explore the changing dynamics of Islam today and how current religious and social climates shape Christian engagement with Muslims. This is a fresh look at a topic of increasing importance in our present global context.Missiological Engagements charts interdisciplinary and innovative trajectories in the history, theology, and practice of Christian mission, featuring contributions by leading thinkers from both the Euro-American West and the majority world whose missiological scholarship bridges church, academy, and society. Review “Scholars and practitioners may find in its scholarly breadth and balanced reflections an excellent resource for further study while all readers would appreciate each contributor’s evident effort to provide applications of more theoretical and sometimes technical content. This work is a welcome addition to the growing Christian literature on interfaith engagements in the contemporary world, and particularly on Christian-Muslim relations in a globalizing world.” — Peter Lee, Missiology, 46(4) About the Author Evelyne A. Reisacher (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) is associate professor of Islamic studies and intercultural relations at Fuller Theological Seminary. She spent over a decade in leadership in L’Ami, a Paris-based Christian organization, facilitating relationships between churches and North African immigrants and developing courses, teaching tools, and seminars for sharing the gospel cross-culturally. She has trained Christian leaders and church members in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. Reisacher has published several articles on gender issues in Islam and Muslim-Christian relations. She is the general editor of Toward Respectful Understanding and Witness among Muslims: Festschrift in Honor of J. Dudley Woodberry, and the associate editor of From the Straight Path to the Narrow Way: Journeys of Faith. Additionally, she has published chapters in the books Peace-Building By, Between, and Beyond Muslims and Evangelical Christians and A Worldview Approach to Ministry among Muslim Women.
