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The Qur'an and the Christian: An In-Depth Look into the Book of Islam for Followers of Jesus
Understanding Islam's sacred text is integral to understanding your Muslim neighbor Cross-cultural missionary and scholar Matthew Aaron Bennett blends the insights of Islamic believers, secular Qur'an scholars, and missionaries to Muslims, making The Qur'an and the Christian like no other resource for Christian ministry to Muslims. Combining these perspectives in one guide better equips Christians to communicate the biblical gospel to friends and neighbors who are adherents to Islam--both in and out of majority-Muslim cultures. The Qur'an and the Christian addresses issues both simple and profound, such as:
- How the Qur'an came to be, including Muhammed and the Qur'an's textual precursors
- The major themes of the Qur'an and how these shape the practice of Islam
- The presence of Bible characters, Jews, and Christians in the Qur'anic text
- Whether and how a Christian should read the Qur'an
- Avoiding miscommunication with Muslims when the Qur'an and Christian teaching seem to overlap
This book will help Christians learn how to explore Islamic faith with missiological wisdom and biblical precision. The Qur'an and the Christian will give believers the insight to deepen friendships, promote understanding, and clarify the biblical gospel among Muslim friends and neighbors.
- How the Qur'an came to be, including Muhammed and the Qur'an's textual precursors
- The major themes of the Qur'an and how these shape the practice of Islam
- The presence of Bible characters, Jews, and Christians in the Qur'anic text
- Whether and how a Christian should read the Qur'an
- Avoiding miscommunication with Muslims when the Qur'an and Christian teaching seem to overlap
This book will help Christians learn how to explore Islamic faith with missiological wisdom and biblical precision. The Qur'an and the Christian will give believers the insight to deepen friendships, promote understanding, and clarify the biblical gospel among Muslim friends and neighbors.
256 pages, Paperback
Published April 26, 2022
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85 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 17, 2024
This book is phenomenal in explaining how the Qur’an is understood and read in Islam. The author does a lot to help Christians understand where the Qur’an diverges from Christianity and even some of the typical arguments from Muslims against Christianity.
Of course, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this book to everyone, but if you’re a Christian trying to figure out how to better evangelize Muslims, this book will help you.
Now, my one complaint is the name of the book. The name of the book can very easily be misunderstood as suggesting the Qur’an as a positive addition to the life of a Christian, but the author doesn’t suggest that at all. He merely suggests being aware of what is written in the Qur’an for evangelistic and missions efforts.
His final statement really helps with this, “All of this is intended to remind us that winning an intellectual or ideological argument is not the same as winning a person to the gospel of Jesus. Ideologies and theological systems need to be investigated, and can be shown to be wanting, but at the end of the day, we do not merely hold out Christianity as an intellectually superior system; we hold out Christ as the Good Shepherd whose love and faithfulness drove him to lay down his life for his sheep. Our desire is to help our Muslim neighbors to recognize the voice of the Shepherd calling their names and speaking a better word of forgiveness, cleansing, and redemption than can be found elsewhere.” (252-253)
Of course, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this book to everyone, but if you’re a Christian trying to figure out how to better evangelize Muslims, this book will help you.
Now, my one complaint is the name of the book. The name of the book can very easily be misunderstood as suggesting the Qur’an as a positive addition to the life of a Christian, but the author doesn’t suggest that at all. He merely suggests being aware of what is written in the Qur’an for evangelistic and missions efforts.
His final statement really helps with this, “All of this is intended to remind us that winning an intellectual or ideological argument is not the same as winning a person to the gospel of Jesus. Ideologies and theological systems need to be investigated, and can be shown to be wanting, but at the end of the day, we do not merely hold out Christianity as an intellectually superior system; we hold out Christ as the Good Shepherd whose love and faithfulness drove him to lay down his life for his sheep. Our desire is to help our Muslim neighbors to recognize the voice of the Shepherd calling their names and speaking a better word of forgiveness, cleansing, and redemption than can be found elsewhere.” (252-253)
August 21, 2022
Summary: A scholarly discussion of the origins and place of the Qur’an in Islam with the aim of encouraging Christians to read, and understand how to read and discuss the Qur’an with their Muslim neighbors.
People of Islamic belief are part of the warp and woof of American culture. They are our neighbors, they may provide our health care or fill our prescriptions, they are cashiers at our groceries, and classmates of our children. We eat at restaurants owned by them, enjoying their cuisine. A growing number are being elected to political office. Our temptation may be to suspect them or shun them or try to marginalize them. The operative word is “them.” But as a Christian, I am caught up by the word “neighbor.” I see no “out” clause excusing me from the love of neighbor that Jesus has commanded.
If we develop any kind of trust and our candid about our respective beliefs we may likely be drawn into conversations about respective beliefs and may hear that the Qur’an speaks of Abraham, Moses, Elijah, and Jesus (Isa), who are honored as prophets as are their “books.” We may be tempted to retreat, finding ourselves on unfamiliar ground. The author of this book encourages a different approach. He wants us to read the Qur’an as an act of loving our Muslim neighbors by seeking to understand their book. In this work, he wants us to understand how the Qur’an is regarded, understanding its origins and the cultural background of its origins, its meaning as a “revelation.” and its intent: to give instruction in the life pleasing to the one true God, Allah. Much of this is covered in the first part of the book.
The second part deals with the Qur’an as a text in relation to previous texts, because indeed, the Qur’an makes reference to the sacred texts of Jews and Christians, although as we learn, there were no copies of the Bible in Arabic available at the time of the revelation of the Qur’an and its inscription in Arabic, explaining the lack of direct quotes. It speaks of Torah, Psalms, and Gospel (Injel). Jews and Christians are called both to obey their books, and receive the Qur’an as correction for ways their books have been distorted. Bennett discusses references to biblical characters, and sometimes the “mash-up” that joins characters separated by centuries in events. A basic principle is to observe how these advance Muslim readings, rather than criticize these lapses. It also points out that our reading should be discerning, noting both points of contact and distinction.
The third part then returns to the idea that Christians should read the Qur’an, and why and how. Reading the Qur’an, understanding the use of rhetorical questions in the text, and how it resonates in the life of our Muslim neighbors offers a bridge for communication. At the same time, Bennett helps us discern some key distinctions between Islam and Christianity that emerge in reading the Qur’an and the Bible. There are very different conceptions of God, beginning with the transcendence but not imminence of Allah. The Qur’an’s aim is not to show us how to enter into loving relation with God but to submit to and serve God. Indeed, the love within the Trinity has no counterpart. There is sin, but no original sin for which atonement has been provided through Christ. Sins are addressed through repentance and offset by good works.
Bennett addresses the use of the Qur’an in efforts of Christians to share their faith. Contrary to some approaches which advocate this, he would commend the Qur’an simply for understanding and believes that efforts to use the Qur’an in Christian witness may often result in confusion. One exception that he discusses is the Qur’an’s account of the Akedah, Abraham’s sacrifice of his son, which commends Abraham on the basis of his submission, yet maintains the need for a sacrifice in place of the son. He suggests that this raises a question only the Bible can answer–why was a ransom needed? He believes this addresses the need for an atoning sacrifice and can lead to a discussion of Jesus.
I appreciate Bennett’s combination of loving engagement with Muslim friends, thoughtful understanding of their Book that avoids polemics, recognizing both points of contact and the distinctions between Christian belief found in the Bible and Islamic belief rooted in the Qur’an. He wisely urges not assuming what our friends believe but to listen to them. He is also candid about the reality that both Islam and Christianity are evangelistic and seek to persuade others of the truth of their beliefs with the hope of conversion. He helps Christians to be both discerning in these matters and loving in our engagement with Muslim friends, believing that our willingness to read the Qur’an may lead to an openness to examine the Bible. Some may be uncomfortable with what they think of as “proselytizing,” but where there is no imposition or manipulation but simply honest discussion between interested friends, this seems far superior to fostering good Christian-Muslim relations to the “othering” which often characterizes these relationships.
____________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher.
People of Islamic belief are part of the warp and woof of American culture. They are our neighbors, they may provide our health care or fill our prescriptions, they are cashiers at our groceries, and classmates of our children. We eat at restaurants owned by them, enjoying their cuisine. A growing number are being elected to political office. Our temptation may be to suspect them or shun them or try to marginalize them. The operative word is “them.” But as a Christian, I am caught up by the word “neighbor.” I see no “out” clause excusing me from the love of neighbor that Jesus has commanded.
If we develop any kind of trust and our candid about our respective beliefs we may likely be drawn into conversations about respective beliefs and may hear that the Qur’an speaks of Abraham, Moses, Elijah, and Jesus (Isa), who are honored as prophets as are their “books.” We may be tempted to retreat, finding ourselves on unfamiliar ground. The author of this book encourages a different approach. He wants us to read the Qur’an as an act of loving our Muslim neighbors by seeking to understand their book. In this work, he wants us to understand how the Qur’an is regarded, understanding its origins and the cultural background of its origins, its meaning as a “revelation.” and its intent: to give instruction in the life pleasing to the one true God, Allah. Much of this is covered in the first part of the book.
The second part deals with the Qur’an as a text in relation to previous texts, because indeed, the Qur’an makes reference to the sacred texts of Jews and Christians, although as we learn, there were no copies of the Bible in Arabic available at the time of the revelation of the Qur’an and its inscription in Arabic, explaining the lack of direct quotes. It speaks of Torah, Psalms, and Gospel (Injel). Jews and Christians are called both to obey their books, and receive the Qur’an as correction for ways their books have been distorted. Bennett discusses references to biblical characters, and sometimes the “mash-up” that joins characters separated by centuries in events. A basic principle is to observe how these advance Muslim readings, rather than criticize these lapses. It also points out that our reading should be discerning, noting both points of contact and distinction.
The third part then returns to the idea that Christians should read the Qur’an, and why and how. Reading the Qur’an, understanding the use of rhetorical questions in the text, and how it resonates in the life of our Muslim neighbors offers a bridge for communication. At the same time, Bennett helps us discern some key distinctions between Islam and Christianity that emerge in reading the Qur’an and the Bible. There are very different conceptions of God, beginning with the transcendence but not imminence of Allah. The Qur’an’s aim is not to show us how to enter into loving relation with God but to submit to and serve God. Indeed, the love within the Trinity has no counterpart. There is sin, but no original sin for which atonement has been provided through Christ. Sins are addressed through repentance and offset by good works.
Bennett addresses the use of the Qur’an in efforts of Christians to share their faith. Contrary to some approaches which advocate this, he would commend the Qur’an simply for understanding and believes that efforts to use the Qur’an in Christian witness may often result in confusion. One exception that he discusses is the Qur’an’s account of the Akedah, Abraham’s sacrifice of his son, which commends Abraham on the basis of his submission, yet maintains the need for a sacrifice in place of the son. He suggests that this raises a question only the Bible can answer–why was a ransom needed? He believes this addresses the need for an atoning sacrifice and can lead to a discussion of Jesus.
I appreciate Bennett’s combination of loving engagement with Muslim friends, thoughtful understanding of their Book that avoids polemics, recognizing both points of contact and the distinctions between Christian belief found in the Bible and Islamic belief rooted in the Qur’an. He wisely urges not assuming what our friends believe but to listen to them. He is also candid about the reality that both Islam and Christianity are evangelistic and seek to persuade others of the truth of their beliefs with the hope of conversion. He helps Christians to be both discerning in these matters and loving in our engagement with Muslim friends, believing that our willingness to read the Qur’an may lead to an openness to examine the Bible. Some may be uncomfortable with what they think of as “proselytizing,” but where there is no imposition or manipulation but simply honest discussion between interested friends, this seems far superior to fostering good Christian-Muslim relations to the “othering” which often characterizes these relationships.
____________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher.
June 7, 2022
The Qur’an and the Christian: An In-depth Look Into the Book of Islam for Followers of Jesus by Matthew Aaron Bennett is my latest read.
Bennett clearly and readably offers insight into the Qur’an – where it came from, what it claims, and what Christians ought to do with it. Though he doesn’t say it until later in the book, let me state upfront that he recommends that Christians read the Qur’an to understand something of what his “neighbors” believe.
The book is divided into three sections:
In the first section, he explains how the Qur’an came to be and what believers in Islam understand to be its revelation and how it is to be used as a teaching instrument.
Next, he examines the teaching of the Qur’an and its relationship to the texts of Judaism and Christianity.
Finally, he considers how a Christian might “use” the text of the Qur’an. He explains and evaluates positive and problematic uses of the Qur’an in presenting the Gospel.
This is an excellent primer both on understanding how Muslims understand the Qur’an and how the Christian can engage with it and followers of Islam. (Thus the need to actually read the text and interact with it prior to talking with Muslims about it and its relationship to the writings of Judaism and Christianity.)
This is a book I would recommend reading more than once to get a handle on all that he is explaining – and it would be good to read along with reading the Qur’an.
I received this book for free from Kregel in exchange for an honest review.
[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, Kregel.com, and Goodreads.com].
Bennett clearly and readably offers insight into the Qur’an – where it came from, what it claims, and what Christians ought to do with it. Though he doesn’t say it until later in the book, let me state upfront that he recommends that Christians read the Qur’an to understand something of what his “neighbors” believe.
The book is divided into three sections:
In the first section, he explains how the Qur’an came to be and what believers in Islam understand to be its revelation and how it is to be used as a teaching instrument.
Next, he examines the teaching of the Qur’an and its relationship to the texts of Judaism and Christianity.
Finally, he considers how a Christian might “use” the text of the Qur’an. He explains and evaluates positive and problematic uses of the Qur’an in presenting the Gospel.
This is an excellent primer both on understanding how Muslims understand the Qur’an and how the Christian can engage with it and followers of Islam. (Thus the need to actually read the text and interact with it prior to talking with Muslims about it and its relationship to the writings of Judaism and Christianity.)
This is a book I would recommend reading more than once to get a handle on all that he is explaining – and it would be good to read along with reading the Qur’an.
I received this book for free from Kregel in exchange for an honest review.
[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, Kregel.com, and Goodreads.com].
November 30, 2022
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