What practices is God blessing in raising up groups of Jesus-followers among Muslims? And how shall we understand Muslim peoples and their access to biblical withness?
In recent years, workers from a growing number of organizations have begun to discuss such questions. Their initial insights were refined by a broad group of workers in a consultation in the spring of 2007, further analyzed in subsequent months, and compiled in this volume. From Seed to Fruit presents the most recent worldwide research on witness to Christ among Muslim peoples, using biblical images from nature to show the interaction between God's activity and human responsibility in blessing these peoples.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was repetitive in a few places in a way that wasn’t helpful to the content, but overall I think it was a good read.
Some quotes that stuck out: “If the Christian faith is primarily costly discipleship to Jesus the Crucified, then we must gladly lay down our lives in love for Muslims and share with them the precious Good News of Jesus, so that they may come to know his Gospel of salvation.”
“Followers of Christ are as free to share their faith in Afghanistan as they are in the United States or Europe. The issue is not whether we are free to share; the issue is whether we are willing to suffer the consequences of expressing our faith. We are all free but not all of us are willing to bear the consequences of a free and bold witness.”
“Thus, we do not argue about Christianity versus Islam. We focus on who Jesus is and what he has done for us. As followers of Christ our message and ultimate allegiance is to the good news about Jesus. Jesus is our model, and we seek to embody his life in all we say and do.”
Without question, the single greatest work on ministry to Muslims that I have read. This compendium is anchored in research and a lively dialogue that adds deep texture to the various subjects discussed.
Arising out of a consortium of 280 practitioners meeting in 2007, this volume is staggering in its scope. There are several competing interpretations as relates to missiological praxis, however, the various perspectives put forward carry a graciousness that is usually lacking in theological discourse.
As a practitioner, I found thought provoking ideas in nearly every essay. There were times when certain sections became too dependent on research and, thereby, lacked philosophical continuity. However, the desire for objective analysis preserved the aspirations of the organizers to produce a work that could benefit the diverse landscape of Christian witness and avoid slipping into divisive rhetoric.
Among the illuminating aspects of the book is its inclusiveness of developing world perspectives, the unrelenting emphasis on proclamation and the economization of insights in each chapter. The writing is accessible yet penetrating. Being familiar with most of the challenges represented in the book, I came away very impressed with the lucidity of each writer's arguments. They were persuasive without being pedantic. Furthermore, the call to respectful witness with our Muslim friends was also applied here to the important debates within our own faith community. Even on viewpoints that I oppose theologically or on missiological grounds, I came away with a deep appreciation for the respective writer's gracious spirit.
This should be standard reading for anyone desiring to serve in the Islamic world. It is worthy of rereading for all practitioners who sense the reality that one day we all have to give a reckoning for how we served the Master while on earth.
Powerful book. It's a compilation of essays by those on the field. I found it a little hard to get into at the beginning but once I got a sense for the way it was written (some theoretical, some practical, some slightly more academic) I enjoyed it more. And it finished strong. One passage pretty far into the book literally moved me to tears.
Very good book describing some best practices of ministers in different kinds of communities. There were many case studies described which are insightful and challenging.