Islam, Politics and Religion
The Gospel & Islam
Rod Spidahl, PhD
Bethel Church Education Option
02-21-2016
Review: Folk Religion
Folk religion is characterized by
1) Seeking here and now answers to
religious questions of power and success
2) Existence within a superstructure of
formal religious observance
3) Reliance on practitioners and on
pragmatic and local form(s) to create
meaning for life rather than on doctrine
creating/defining meaning and form
Folk Islam
Another word for popular Islam
“Various practices prevalent throughout
Arabia when Muhammad emerged as
the founder of a new religion” as well as
ideas and practices incorporated into
Islam as it spread among other peoples
(Musk 1989, 229)
The Gospel as the Bible tells us
For we do not preach ourselves, but
Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as
your servants for Jesus' sake (2 Cor 4:5)
See 1 Corinthians 15:1-5
What We Proclaim
We proclaim him, admonishing and
teaching everyone with all wisdom, so
that we may present everyone perfect in
Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with
all his energy, which so powerfully works
in me (Col 1:28-29)
“Becoming As” – Mission
asTranslation 1 Cor 9:19-23
Though I am free and belong to no man,
I make myself a slave to everyone, to win
as many as possible . . .
To those under the law I became like one
under the law (though I myself am not
under the law), so as to win those under
the law. . .
Identify and Translate
I have become all things to all people
so that by all possible means I might
save some. I do all this for the sake
of the gospel, that I may share in its
blessings (1 Cor 9:22b,23)
What is the Gospel?
In its “mini-minimum”, 1 Cor 15:1-6
I want to remind you of the gospel I
preached to you, which you received and
on which you have taken your stand. By
this gospel you are saved, if you hold
firmly to the word I preached to you.
Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
The Gospel (continued)
For what I received I passed on to
you as of first importance: that Christ
died for our sins according to the
Scriptures, that he was buried, that
he was raised on the third day
according to the Scriptures, and that
he appeared…
What is the Gospel –Tell me
In groups of 3-4, share what you
believe to be a less than 12 word
phrase summarizing what Scripture
says about Gospel
Scripture
Death for sins
Historical event
Is a call into a faith decision in
a crucified, living Lord Jesus.
Baptizing & teaching
(Matthew 28)
How do we “put on Christ?”
Trialogue as a way of becoming
(Paul Hiebert’s Term)
The basis for missionary encounter
involves:
1) Real knowledge of the people we
are serving (applied missional
anthropology)
2) Faithful yet creative application of a
biblical world view in our proclamation
and witness in a specific context
(applied missional theology)
Scripture, Anthropology, Theology,
Mission, Life, Words, Listening,
Loving….
Trialogue (continued)
3) Integration of the Gospel into new
social structures for outreach and
community (incarnational critical
contextualization)
Summary
We know Jesus, not merely
doctrines about Jesus: we
proclaim Him!
We become as Muslims,
practicing incarnational mission:
we go to them, w/o violating the
law of Christ.
As a community to another
community
As people to people for Jesus
sake
Summary (continued)
We identify with cultural aspects but do
not adopt Islamic practices
We treat Muslims persons for whom
Christ died and rose again: we love
Muslims
God transforms Muslims through faith by
His Spirit: God creates new life through
Christ alone