Unfundamentalist

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Islam

The Jihad of Jesus

by in Book Reviews, Islam

For many people, the word jihad is likely to conjure up images of bearded men wearing suicide vests, of black-robed militants brandishing AK-47s, or of clandestine terrorist cells plotting to overthrow the United States.

But what if, instead of representing violence, hate, war, and death, jihad was understood as a nonviolent struggle for peace, justice, understanding, and love?

In his book The Jihad of Jesus (Wipf & Stock, $22), Dave Andrews draws upon Christian and Muslim history, theology, tradition, and scripture in a quest to reclaim jihad as a powerful challenge for both Christians and Muslims “to practice the radical, alternative, participatory, empowering, nonviolent jihad of Jesus” (163).

Andrews readily acknowledges the checkered history of both these Abrahamic faiths, and offers a sobering and honest examination of the violence that has occurred in the name of Christ and Allah throughout history. This leads him to address an all-important question head-on:

“Are the atrocities that are done in the name of Christianity or Islam true indicators of the nature of Christianity or Islam, or not?” (53)

His answer to that question is one that he realizes many people will characterize as “heresy, even blasphemy” (71). Andrews believes that, yes, the cruelties perpetrated in the name of Christianity and Islam are not mere aberrations of inherently peaceful faiths, but instead are a natural out-working of the “closed set… [Read more…] about The Jihad of Jesus

Kicking the Samaritan: Christianity and the Anti-Muslim Backlash

by Don M. Burrows in Christian Issues, Current Events, Islam

View image | gettyimages.com

 

By now, the anti-Muslim backlash we witness after every fresh terror attack is not all that surprising. Bigots will be bigots, and they are not known for complexity or nuance in the face of … well, anything.

What makes it more unsettling this time is that while in decades past the top Republican in the country has denounced Islamophobia, this time around Republican candidates for the presidency have fallen over themselves to be ever more hateful toward Muslims.

A full 23 governors (most of them Republicans) announced on Monday that they would not welcome Syrian refugees into their borders, while Jeb Bush noticeably departed from his brother’s more measured words and declared that we should screen people by religion – accepting only Christian refugees and not Muslim ones into America.

As if that weren’t bad enough, the Republican front-runner, Donald Trump, then mused on national television that we should look at shutting down mosques.

All of this from the party of “religious freedom.”

We could wax on about how hypocritical they are for thinking religious freedom means actively discriminating against gays or denying your employees birth control, as opposed to, you know, shutting down houses of worship. But their mentality seems far darker than mere hypocrisy.

Need it even be said in this day and age? To turn one’s back on refugees is the epitome of anti-Christian action.

When Jesus was asked what one must do to attain eternal life… [Read more…] about Kicking the Samaritan: Christianity and the Anti-Muslim Backlash

The Narrow-Mindedness of Anti-Muslim Christians

by in Islam

View image | gettyimages.com

A couple of days ago we shared on our Facebook page this quote from Rev. John C. Dorhauer, the General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ:
“I want to say as clearly as I can, and in no uncertain terms, that the United Church of Christ stands in full solidarity with people of the Muslim faith. Their contribution to religion, to peace, to humanity, and to the goodness of all is to be celebrated. The United Church of Christ deplores the narrow-mindedness that fails to see this and seeks instead to engender fear, hatred, and anxiety.” — from Urgent Call for UCC Response to Anti-Muslim Rallies
That quote generated responses ranging from enthusiastic support to accusations of heresy. One particular exchange between a Facebook commenter and an Unfundamentalist Christian admin is a perfect illustration of the obstinate narrow-mindedness that Rev. Dorhauer referenced. I’ve transcribed the dialogue below or you can view a screenshot of the exchange.
Commenter: Gee, last time I checked, Christ never chopped anyone’s head off for not believing in Him, and as I read the Koran, I see it tells it’s followers to do just that, and to do unspeakable things to humans, and animals. Nowhere does God, that is YAHWEH, not Allah by the way, say to ever do any such thing. you cannot reconcile the Bible and the koran, Islam and Christianity, there is no reconciliation between the two. You are an Apostate preacher of heresy.… [Read more…] about The Narrow-Mindedness of Anti-Muslim Christians

Can Christians and Muslims be friends?

by in Book Reviews, Christian Issues, Islam

Can Christians and Muslims be friends? For Mennonite missionary David Shenk, the answer is not only a resounding yes, but a resounding imperative that we must diligently pursue and cultivate such friendships.

In his recent book Christian. Muslim. Friend: Twelve Paths to Real Relationship (Herald Press, $14.99), Shenk writes from the perspective that “every Muslim should have a Christian friend and every Christian should have a Muslim friend.”

He goes on to describe twelve paths to reach that goal, each of which is the subject of a chapter in the book:
… we live with integrity. We keep our identity clear. We cultivate respect. We develop trust. We dialogue about our differences. We practice hospitality. We answer the questions. We confront distortions. We consider the choice between the hijrah [the journey from Mecca to Medina] and the cross. We seek peace and pursue it. We partner with the person of peace. We commend Christ.
Shenk speaks from experience — he has spent over 50 years involved with Christian missions in Somalia, Kenya, the United States and around the world. He describes this book as “a collection of stories about my journey of meeting Muslims and greeting Muslims.” That is partly true, but Shenk is being modest. The stories of his interactions with Muslims offer profound insights into the nuances of interfaith relationships.

Shenk is forthright in his exploration of Christian/Muslim relationships, never shirking difficult topics. He… [Read more…] about Can Christians and Muslims be friends?

The moment when, I, a moderate Christian, was a misunderstood Muslim

by Kristin Reed Klade in Islam

From the outside, it looked like any old interfaith dinner. Religiously moderate people of various faith traditions smiling and getting to know each other, a picturesque panel of four faith leaders smiling on a stage, ready with speeches about unity and love–the works.

That night turned out to be a bit different for me, though. This time I was experiencing it as part of the minority.

As a Lutheran seminary student from Chicago, I was attending a conference of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), learning about how emerging Jewish and Christian leaders could work to become allies with American Muslims in their fight for equality, and against hate and Islamophobia.

I got a little nervous when I read in the program that a pastor from a large evangelical church in Fort Worth (my beloved hometown) was going to address the crowd. Being from North Texas, I am well aware of typical megachurch theology, with its emphasis on evangelism and conversion. So I was unsure about how the pastor was going to come across to a room of mostly Muslims. I was certainly willing to give him a chance, though. Maybe he’s different, I thought.

He started off by recognizing the Christian obligation to love and protect our Muslim neighbors, and furthermore to be in relationship with them, to know them on a deeper level. But as he went on I began to grow uncomfortable. He spoke about the importance of being “real” with each other in interfaith dialogue. He praised his Muslim friend for being… [Read more…] about The moment when, I, a moderate Christian, was a misunderstood Muslim

A queer feminist Muslim you should meet

by in Islam

The below originally appeared on Aaminah Khan’s terrific blog, Days Like Crazy Paving, where it was illustrated with the picture above and titled Muslim, queer, feminist: it’s as complicated as it sounds. I wanted to share it here (which I do with Aaminah’s permission) because I think it so perfectly illustrates the truth that we are all sailing in basically the same boat. Day by day I think we move toward one world. I love this particular step in that direction.

Take it away, Aaminah:… [Read more…] about A queer feminist Muslim you should meet

Review: "The Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of the World"

by in Book Reviews, Islam

In the West, Islam is popularly depicted as a religion rooted in hate and violence, as a belief system inherently antagonistic towards other religions — particularly Christianity — and as synonymous with terrorism and totalitarian theocratic rule.

But there is another face of Islam, a face that garners little attention on the evening news and is virtually ignored by those who traffic in — and profit from — divisive fear mongering. This is an Islam practiced by millions around the world, an Islam defined not by violence but by respect, an Islam that remains true to its founder’s revelation.

In The Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of the World (Angelico Press), John Andrew Morrow sets out to offer concrete textual reasons, from the Prophet Mohammed himself, for an understanding of Islam that moves beyond stereotypes and reasserts the truly inclusive foundations of Islamic belief.

Morrow presents six covenants written by Muhammad to Christian communities and argues that these letters and treaties, which proclaim and define peaceful and mutually respectful relationships with Christians, have the potential to serve as a foundational source of Islamic belief and practice, on equal footing with the Koran and the hadiths.

Bringing modern historical scholarship and textual criticism to bear in his study of these rare and largely forgotten documents, Morrow refutes the notion that Muslims and Christians necessarily stand at odds with one another,… [Read more…] about Review: "The Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of the World"