Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Mission, Sacrament, and Islam

For those of you interested in such things, St Francis Magazine which specializes in mission in the Arab world (isn't that awesome?) has just released online their June issue, which you can read HERE.

And especially let me recommend, of all the great articles on there, my own on mission and sacrament in relation to the church's mission to Islam. Download it by clicking HERE.

Also, my previous article on Apostates of Islam is still available, as is my Parable of the Prince and Letter.

7 comments:

John Stringer said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
John Stringer said...

I am happy you are so impressed by your own articles Abu Daoud! You are a lovely narcissist (Is that the right spelling?).


I am waiting for your sequel to that article on the sacraments and mission. It is begging for more...

Don said...

I think your articles are good. But I also think there's a comma missing in your original post which, I think, is the source of the impression you left with Mr. Stringer.

While on that subject, he has an extensive treatment on reactions to the Muslim initiative for dialogue. Perhaps he should include my own (and yes, I have a little official standing).

John Stringer said...

Don, I will immediately do so ;-)
But give me a bit more on your 'official standing', albeit vague...

Abu Daoud said...

Hi John and Don, well you shoudl realize that I am speaking tongue in cheek. If I actually believed I were influential I wouldn't say it. But I'm not so why not have some fun ridiculing myself?

I will certainly write a second part to the essay on Sacrament and Mission.

Don: Look forward to reading more about your stance on the Open Letter.

JohnG. said...

Abu, dealing with your parable, I thought Jesus was the "word of God" for muslims too (however in a very different way than our own understanding of "dei verbum", of course).
So it seems to be erroneus in a muslim point of view. How do you deal with that when you speaks to muslim ?

And how do muslim people react to this generally ?

Thanks.

Abu Daoud said...

Hi John G:

Actually in Islam he is "a word from God" which they interpret as a synechdoche: a word (a part) thus referring to his whole message (the whole). So as you note they certainly don't understand him as the Word (Logos) of God.

How do people react? In different ways. One guy told me clearly that the city who received the prince was more honored, another man obfuscated and refused to answert the question because he understood the implications. So you get all sorts of responses.