A Short Guide to Islam: A Biblical Response to the Faith of Our Muslim Neighbors

by Beth Peltola

How can we love and understand our Islamic neighbors well?
 
Beth Peltola grew up in Southern Africa, and then moved to London to begin her career in missions serving a Turkish-speaking church for refugees and immigrants. She has spent her life training Christians in the tenets of Islam and Christian mission to Muslims. This accessible book will help Christians understand the beliefs of their Muslim neighbors so that they may love them and engage them in gospel conversations.
 
In this biblical response to Islam, you will The primary tenets of the Islamic faith The common misunderstandings Westerners hold about Islam How Christians can best respond and engage their Muslim neighbors  
The world has moved into our neighborhoods. We have a great opportunity to love our Muslim neighbors like Jesus does.

Genres: Christian

240 pages, Hardcover

Published November 6, 2023

Reviews

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well-researched. Good for learning the basics of "Islam VS Christianity."

But... I truly don't feel like saying "but the Bible says..." to Muslims would really make them want to convert. I feel that this would be a good book if you wanted to know how to talk to Muslims who were already interested in Jesus - or were willing to be interested.

There are typos in Bible verses (and elsewhere) throughout the book. One such instance is on the title page. Later on, I read the phrase: "the Angle of the Lord." Where's my protractor? I'm not trying to be a nitpicking hater, but it seems as if Bible verses should be relayed correctly in a book with this subject matter.

This definitely needed an editor. Lots of paragraphs seemed disjointed or unnecessary - or sentences blended into one another awkwardly. Sometimes one sentence stopped and another seemed to begin in the middle of it. I assume the author backspaced a chunk of text, and accidentally missed the first 2-3 words of what she was trying to delete. She then began typing her revised sentence, which is what ended up on the page... alongside those poor and neglected words mentioned above.

I know a lot of useful facts about Islam now, and I am filled with renewed gratitude and appreciation regarding my faith in Jesus Christ! For that, I am very appreciative. :)

But this book seemed unfinished. Frankly, it was ultimately just not very good.

[Read-n-Bloom · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful book by Beth Peltola! If we are Christians, then we are given an opportunity to witness to our Muslim friends or neighbors of Christ. Some might be afraid or just delusioned about their religion but we are called to witness and shine a bright light for the gospel. “We have to forget their religion and look at them as people” - a quote from the book. Does that mean we should trust Islam, the religion? No, but as a nation and as a people, we are to care for our people in our country. We want no harm to come to any of them, especially to our families. So we cannot trust Islam, but we have to give our Muslim friends and neighbors a chance to choose Christ or Islam. This book yes is a short guide to Islam. It breaks it down for us, Islam, so we are guided in how to talk, respectfully, to Islamic religious friends and neighbors. Be willing to share the gospel with them and you just might lead them to be saved in Christ! Thank you to #NetGalley and the author, and publishers for the opportunity to read and review #AShortGuideToIslam with my honest thoughts and opinions.

[Peter Saunders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Refreshingly practical and helpful in its key message to focus on the person on Jesus Christ.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley and B&H Publishing Group for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so helpful! I have read many books on ministry and missions to Islamic communities as well as on the views that Muslims hold. Of all of the books that I have read, I think that THIS book was the most helpful in offering a quick overview of so many things and much biblical as well as practical advise. I'm so glad to have read this book, and I know that I will be going back to reference it in the future. This book gave me a greater understanding of many things.

I would highly recommend this book!

[Bianca · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the author visited our church and mentioned this book, I knew I had to check it out. And wow, what a treasure trove of insight! Whether you have Muslims in your life or simply cross paths with them, this book is a must-read.

Fair warning: this isn't something you can just listen to while cleaning or taking a stroll. You'll want to sit down with a pen, take notes, look up verses, and really delve into the content. It's a fantastic introduction to Islam, but it goes beyond the basics. Even if you already know a bit about the topic, you'll find invaluable guidance for answering those tricky questions and gaining a deeper understanding of God's love for all Muslims.

I can't recommend this book enough, and I'm already looking forward to diving into the author's other work. Don't miss out on this enlightening read!

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This is an incredible resource for anyone who has Muslim friends. I wish I had read this after living in Turkey for a year. So often, I tried to understand the Qur'an and use that to start talking about the Bible and Jesus, and what Christians believe. This book refreshingly kept pointed me to talk about who Jesus is - in a variety of contexts.

Definitely gave me so much to chew on. Any Christian with Muslim friends or any expat living temporarily in a predominantly Muslim context who wants to share Jesus would benefit greatly from this resource!

I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. But I would pay for this for sure - many times over.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you've ever wanted to reach out more effectively to people of Islam -- or of other religions -- this is the book to read. Beth Peltola draws on a lifetime of ministering to Muslims and studying Islam, using Biblical truth and real-life examples, to help readers learn how to share their faith with love and respect.
A gifted speaker and communicator, Ms. Peltola blends her on-the-streets experience with deep historical and cultural understanding. This book is a must-read for Christians everywhere, and for ministry workers in the harvest field, it's an essential. Five stars plus.

[Kristianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introductory resource for Christians wanting to learn more about Islam and how to present Christianity in the most biblical light to their Muslim neighbors. I found the chapters short, easy to follow, and well organized. Definitely a book I'll be coming back to if I need a quick refresh on Islam and its arguments against Christianity.

I had the pleasure of meeting Beth at Write to Publish conference earlier this year and was fascinated by her stories of missions and ministry around the globe. We need more people like her who are not afraid to take a stand for the gospel, while still loving our Muslim neighbors as Jesus does.

[Jennie Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This is a great book! A super resource that points you to more resources to study in depth. I learned so much and was challenged by this book to be more proactive in reaching out to others with the message of Jesus.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this advance e-copy! All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

[Educator · Rating 4 out of 5]

NetGalley ARC Educator 550974

This is a guide of Islam from a Christian's view. Some of the statements and inferences can anger those with a wealth of knowledge about Islam. I think it can be helpful for those who want to understand more, however, this is not a definitive guide for those who truly wish to learn about Islam.

[Chloe Shearer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad! I noticed a few typos and editing errors but the overall premise was good! I especially liked having the Quran verse to know exactly where to look for certain topics.

[Rebecca Woodruff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this book contained a few grammatical errors as well as some paragraphs that were wordy and hard to follow, I thought this book was greatly informative and definitely worth the read!