Throughout history, Christ followers within the Arab Islamic world have typically been encouarged by Christians, both Arab and Western, toward radical discontinuity with their Muslim culture and society. This has resulted in their experiencing a deep sense of rupture from their environment, which more often than not causes a severe crisis of identity...
Paul-Gordon Chandler, 2007, Pilgrims of Christ on the Muslim Road, p 101.
Abu Daoud says: this book is mostly rubbish, but read the final chapter, an interview with Mazhar Mallouhi. Chandler can't figure out what kind of book he's writing and it really shows. Is this biography? missiology? pop-religion? hagiography? He just can't make up his mind. It's certainly not a serious peice of scholarship...
6 comments:
hey AD: why so harsh on this book? I understand that you share very different views than Mazhar, but I think the bok demands respect given the role of Mazhar in the Arab christian community... don't you agree?
Hi Shaw, it has nothing at all to do with a difference of opinion. There are fine ways to discuss the life of Mallouhi. In fact, a straight forward biography would have been much appreciated. My problem is not with Mallouhi, it is with Chandler.
And what do you mean by the role of Mazhar in the Arab Christian community? He says quite clearly that he does not consider himself or call himself a Christian, though he once did.
I'm not on the ground there so I'm not sure, I just guessed from the book that he is well known. how much influence does mallouhi have among christian arabs...?
Hi Shaw,
He has some influence among some of the missionaries here, but among the actual Christians, none at all as far as I know.
Just finished reading Chandler's book and found it to be more along the teachings and style of Jesus. The trouble one might have is that it is not the normal teachings of Christianity. There is a massive movement of people from all cultures following and worshipping Jesus without identifying itself with Christianity. What biblical basis might anyone have with this approach. Jesus is the name above all names and the only name we are encouraged to lift up to the world. What part of that is so difficult to understand?
Anonymous: I have a hard time answering anonymous posts. I don't know who you are. Are you an MBB? An evangelical Christian from the West? An Arab Christian from the East?
It is simply not possible for me to talk with you if I have no idea of you are. I think the Incarnation teaches us this clearly.
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