Abu Daoud, now on Scribd

Hi All,

I have opened a Scribd account, so for those of you who use that fine service, please feel free to follow me there, and I would also like to follow your activity.

It is also a convenient place to see all my published articles, which I am in the process of uploading:

www.scribd.com/abu_daoud

--Abu Daoud

Foreign Policy Mag: Libyans and Marriage; Demography

The new issue of Foreign Policy, one of my favorite publications, along with St Francis Magazine and Time and First Things, has two new articles out that are very interesting.

The first is about Libya and how the men and women deal with various difficulties surrounding marriage. The new rebels used to be unemployed slackers, now they are heroes. What will happen? Will they be able to get married now? Will they be able to get jobs? As I have said before, getting rid of the dictator was the easy part.


Libya's Sexual Revolution by Ellen Knickmeyer

Also, readers of this blog know my opinion on the future: it belongs to those who procreate, not the smartest or fastest or most just or whatever. Those who reproduce will also emigrate, bringing with them their culture and religion. Something like 98% of the world population will be born and die with the same religion. As much as I devote myself to evangelism, and as important as every convert is, the future will be determined by demographics. This article is about that topic.

It's a Small World After All, by Colum Lynch

Check them out, enjoy!

--Abu Daoud

Calling Muslims: Ex-Muslims for Al Masih

Interesting site here. It reports to be an online magazine run by ex-Muslims trying to reach Muslims. Lots of video and some debates between Muslims and Christians.

The only thing I can't find is the list of contributors. Who are the ex-Muslims contributing to the site?

Nonetheless, good topics and lots of material to check out. Let me know what you think.

Calling Muslims: Ex-Muslims for Al Masih

More on Chrislam

Some time I noted the emergence of an interesting movement called 'Chrislam' in Nigeria. Here is that link.

Have turned up some more information on the interesting movement, which is actually two different movements, that appear quite different:

The larger one is Oke Tude (Yoruba for Mountain of Loosing Bondage, you ignorant Westerners). Here are some links:

Official Website
Article in the Christian Science Monitor
Article in Religion & Ethics

The other movement is obscure and I haven't found any articles that are about it alone. Founded by Tela Tella, it is both smaller and older than then Oke Tude group.

The key work, yet unfinished, on both groups is by Dr. Marloes Janson, and it can be read HERE.

(Dr Janson, if you ever do complete that paper please do let me know!)

Enjoy!

--Abu Daoud

Handy Map of the Middle East

Soren Kierkegaard on Christian Scholarship

"Christian scholarship is the Church's prodigious invention to defend itself against the Bible."

Love it!

The New issue of St Francis Magazine

Hi All,

Well, the new issue of SFM is out a few days late, but better late than never. I have not read the whole thing yet, but so far there are two articles that are noteworthy I think.

The first is Jeff Morton's harsh review of the missiology and theology of Carl Medearis. I have not personally read Medearis' book Muslims, Christians, and Jesus, but I have heard several people speak highly of it. So it is interesting to find such a critical review of his work. Here it is:


THE LYRICS OF CARL MEDEARIS: A POST-MODERN CROONS A SONG OF CULTURAL IMPERIALISM by Jeff Morton

Second, I actually put together a complete bibliography of SFM's first five years. Do check it out. I guarantee you will find some interesting articles that you will want to read. Also, you will most certainly enjoy my intelligent and penetrating insights into the journal's strengths and weaknesses ;-)

St Francis Magazine: A Complete Bibliography of the First Five Years by Abu Daoud

Or by all means, just download the entire issue if you prefer.

--Abu Daoud

Church History

Brilliant  :-)

Lamin Sanneh, suffering, and the central contradiction of Islam

Lamin Sanneh over at Yale is himself an ex-Muslim Christian (and a Catholic one, at that). He is one of the best anaylzers of Islam that I have ever read. Here is a great quote:

It remains, surely, one of the supreme ironies that the suffering that radical violence wishes to inflict on the West is in the name of a God who is immune to suffering and yet who will receive sacrifice on His behalf. Right-minded people must press this contradiction and ask how morally plausible it is to lay down one's life for God when God is forbidden to lay down His life for humanity. [...] Few of those Muslims who who denounce the methods of radical terror have been willing to reject the end for which it is being undertaken, which is the punitive drive to convert an infidel West. It gives the radicals little incentive to cease and desist.

Sanneh, Lamin. 2008. 'Foreword' in Jesus and the Cross, David Singh ed. Regnum. p viii.

I recommend this book of his for curious parties.