Cross and Crescent: Responding to the Challenges of Islam

by Colin Chapman

Is the Muslim my neighbor? For increasing numbers of Christians, the answer to that question is yes. The crescent, an emblem of the Islamic faith recognized throughout the world, is gaining prominence in the West, bringing with it the collision of worldviews. When the cross meets the crescent, what ought to happen? In the newly revised classic Cross and Crescent, Colin Chapman brings remarkable sensitivity and humanity to a question that too often incites hostility and suspicion. He introduces Islam in its historical context, its theological assumptions and, most important, its common practice in the West. In this comprehensive, gracious introduction to Islam, you will meet the Muslims in your community and learn how to love these neighbors as yourself.

Genres: Islam, Christian, Theology, Christianity, Religion, History, Faith

400 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1994

Reviews

[Caleb Blake · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are shorter books that are more helpful.

[Parker · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's a lot of really great information in this book, as well as helpful suggestions for approaching Muslims. For example, Chapman gives several reasons why the parable of the prodigal son and the Gospel of Luke are the ideal places to start in Scripture. He also gives helpful historical, political, and ideological context for contemporary Muslim thinking.

But the book falls flat in a number of ways. First of all, it's poorly organized and redundant. It's difficult to see a logical progression -- it feels like a sequence of tangentially related chapters, many of which cover the same material. It doesn't help the problem that the book is as long as it is. Nearly 400 pages, with a somewhat small font. I had to fight to keep my eyes from glazing over each time I turned a page.

It also suffers from a lack of clear theological perspective. In certain places, it seems Chapman is attempting to speak from the standpoint of (an absurdly broad and nebulous) "mere Christianity." In those places, he is unable to offer clear suggestions because he must be inclusive of all types of Christians. On the other hand, there are parts where he speaks firmly about inerrancy, penal substitution, salvation through faith alone, and so on. In still other places, he entertains the idea of inventing a new sacrament to replace baptism in order to avoid all the connotations baptism has in Muslim contexts. It's all over the place.

I would recommend What Every Christian Needs to Know About the Qur'an by James White over this one any day, even though it's missing some of the very helpful information contained in Cross and Crescent. It's much easier to follow, and written from a clear doctrinal stance that is able to provide specific answers to important questions. In the end, this book just wasn't worth the trudge.

[Evan]

didn't read 4-7, 13, and 24

good

[Troy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely phenomenal. This is a must read for any Christian looking to understand Islam and how pur two faiths interact with each other. This is incredibly important information to know when wanting to be a good witness of Christ to our Muslim friends and neighbors.

EDIT: Upon a second reading a few years later, I lowered my rating. Chapman seems to more readily punch Christianity and coddle Islam and is at times a bit too soft on the faith of Muhammad.

[Toby · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a brief, easy-to-read and (relatively) non-partisan account of Islam and its relationship with Christianity, this is a very good book. The chapters are short and written in such a way that, whilst being clearly Christian in intention and orientation, polemic is studiously avoided. Colin Chapman is at all times courteous to the Muslim faith. Liberal and non-stereotyped opinions and attitudes are given alongside more conservative readings, allowing the reader to understand something of the breadth of Islamic doctrine and culture.

The first edition of this book was published in the seemingly long-vanished world of 1995. It was apparently updated in 2003 although apart from one reference to the Iraq invasion of that year there seems to be little new material that was added. Significantly 9/11 is not mentioned: indeed Islamic terrorism is a subject barely touched upon. This is doubtless due to the non-confrontational tone of the book, but in 2017 this particular elephant in the room is so big that any such book written now would have to devote significant time to it.

However, the tone and content of Cross and Crescent should remind us that for the "ordinary" Muslim attempting to live a life of faith in a tough culture, there are many more pressing concerns in their life than the tragedies being played out in the Middle East.

[Frank Peters · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a surprisingly easy book to read, especially as it was designed to be a textbook. The author does not assume any prior knowledge of Islam and then seeks to educate and challenge a Christian reader regarding how to interact with Islam and Muslims. The writing style of the book is outstanding, and the book is very approachable and manageable. It seemed that the author was afraid to confront anything bad that has come out of Islam, or done in the name of Islam, but rather spent more effort talking about the horribly things (e.g. the crusades) that were done in the name of Christianity. As a result, I had mixed feeling about the book. So while I completely support what the author is doing in terms of how we interact with individual Muslims, I was not convinced regarding his methodology of interacting intellectually with Islam.

[Dónal Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book, long but with short chapters it was easy to read. My knowledge of Islam was decent enough so I felt much of what was said I knew previously. Great at covering breadth of Islamic belief among common people from folk to liberal to conservative views and touched on a heap of relevant issues. I felt the last part was the best in engaging with Muslim objections though felt other books did a better job of covering a Christian apologetic. At times too irenic but a good corrective for some more polemical works. Misses out talking about terrorism. Overall decent but I would recommend reading other works on Islam too (James White's book is excellent).

[Jordan Shirkman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written from a Christian perspective comparing Islam and Christianity, this book feels nearly exhaustive in its scope of topics in regards to Islam. Chapman provides overviews and specifics of Islam in its various forms, and in the latter part of the book moved into Christian engagement with Islam and ministry examples and ideas.

A few finer points I disagree with (that Christians and Muslims worship the same God because they are monotheists) but overall a helpful guide along with interesting starting points for ministry to Muslims.

[Alex]

This book is a mixed bag. Positively, there is a decent amount of helpful information towards understanding Islam and the chapters are generally not too long. Negatively, Chapman often advocates an idea of the Golden Rule that is not interpreted by the whole of Scripture along with many more approaches/perspectives that are disagreeable to confessional Reformation Protestantism.

[Tom Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible overview of Islam and Christian-Muslim interaction. The book also delves into religious-political challenges in the largely secular western world. An excellent book to read if a Christian brother or sister intends to relate well to Muslim neighbours, with systematic and in depth coverage of a lot of topics.

[Don Harton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was quite helpful for me. I learned a great deal about Islam - it’s roots about which I had a vague idea; and it’s underlying story about which I knew very little.

Chapman also challenged me to think more carefully about how Christianity can be viewed by those who don’t know us very well. Makes me thankful for people who take the time to engage with others who may think differently.

[Paul Batz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really appreciate this book. I say this, in part, because it covers so much. And maybe some might argue this is its downfall, but there is a lot to be said when comparing two major religions.

Colin Chapman starts his book well, offering suggestions on ways in which we might relate to our Muslim neighbours. This is good, because we often fall prey to pressures that would have us see Muslims as "the other." With an awesome quote, Chapman starts this first chapter like this: "'Hello, how are you?' This was the short answer to a student who asked: 'How should I approach a Muslim?'" With this quote, Chapman sets the tone for the rest of his book. He is fair in his assessment of the similarities and differences between the two religions and makes sure that his readers know that we mustn't demonize one another; we are all humans with similar needs and desires.

Out of the five large sections from his book, I most appreciated Part Four: Facing Fundamental Differences. Chapman does not shy away from the differences we possess and is the first to say that these are legitimate concerns. That being said, Chapman should be commended for his approach to common questions such as "Is the God of Islam the same God as the God of Christianity?" Chapman refuses to answer this question simplistically. Instead, he prefers to "break the question down to several smaller questions" (235). His approach to the fundamental differences between Islam and Christianity is nuanced and is certainly appreciated.

Overall, this is a very good book, but does attempt to tackle a lot. This is to be expected of a book that attempts to both inform readers of Islam and offers suggestions in how to discuss and share the Christian faith with Muslims. Good book!

[Elliot · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book about Islam from a Christian perspective that I have read, so I don't have anything to compare it to. I appreciated Chapman's irenic tone above all. I found it a genuinely Christian alternative to all the "West vs. East" culture war rhetoric that has been flying around, especially within the last 10 years. He is measured in his recommendations, and takes pains to allow Muslims to describe what they believe in their own words. That said, he doesn't gloss over the differences between Christianity and Islam. Some of the quotes are longer than necessary, and he repeats himself more often than necessary. Apart from those quibbles, I'd recommend this book to a Christian seeking to respond to Islam in a distinctively Christian way.

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty new area for me and I do believe Chaplin's book has helped me a great deal. The author begins with the basics and progressively unravels what it means to engage the Muslim community in a dialogue about faith. He takes from history, other scholars, and other missionaries and provides crucial information that all Christians should know of before approaching someone of the Muslim faith. And he not only promotes knowledge and access to information, but also understanding and love while not at all downplaying the message of Jesus.

[David Purdy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great introduction to Islam that makes it easy to understand for people who don't have much starting knowledge about Islam but who are well-versed in Christianity. Writing from a Christian perspective for a Christian audience, Chapman does a very good job of presenting Islam factually and neutrally, with only the last chapter providing advice about how Christians should respond to Islam, in accordance with the book's subtitle. I would highly recommend this book, especially to Christians who have Muslim friends or acquaintances.

[G. Mark James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chapman attempts to bring a balanced and nuanced perspective to Christian/Muslim interaction. In some cases, it works; in others, I believe he goes a little further than I would like or am comfortable with. However, the questions that he raises are needed and this is a good start to get the discussion going and for trying to think through issues. The writing is very much at a lay level and the book covers many areas of interaction from politics to culture.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book provided some useful insights into the similarities and differences between Christianity and Islam, as well as the historical and cultural background leading to today's misunderstandings and fears of each other's faiths. However I found the book to be a bit disorganized, and much of the sections on how to interact with Muslims seemed like common sense to me. I had to trudge through large portions of it. I'm glad I read it, but it took some determination to finish it.

[Dad Bowers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chapman has written a provocative volume on the political and religious issues on the Arab-Israeli conflict. I read this for a CIU course on Islam in 2013. He leaves much of main stream Christianity, liberals and evangelicals alike, in describing and biblically defending a better loving way toward reconciliation. Highly recommended for those considering the Mid-East issues.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

For anyone in our post 9/11 world who has no idea what is going on in the Muslim world, this is the book for you. A concise and easy read, this book does a great job at giving readers a great introduction to the Muslim world.

[Kari · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first half of the book was mostly history and facts about Islam, and the second half was how Christians should talk with and convert Muslims. I would recommend a less biased book if you're not looking to convert anyone.

[Meg Jenista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hands down, the BEST, most user-friendly book to help Christians understand and engage with their Muslim neighbors. Might make an interesting small group discussion book.

[Pete Bartel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reasonable intro on bringing Christianity to Muslims.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book, that did a great job at looking at all sides of the issue, fairly, and objectively.

[Olivia Snyder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very thought provoking in this time of tension between the two religions. What can we do to our Islamic neighbors? How can we live in harmony?