Contextualization of the Gospel to American Muslims

187 Pages·2017·0.56 MB·English

by  Myckal Morehouse

Southern Adventist University
KnowledgeExchange@Southern
Graduate Theses School of Religion
8-2017
Contextualization of the Gospel to American
Muslims: A Proposal for a Seventh-day Adventist
Evangelization Model
Myckal Morehouse
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Southern Adventist University
School of Religion
CONTEXTUALIZATION OF THE GOSPEL TO AMERICAN MUSLIMS:
A PROPOSAL FOR A SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST
EVANGELIZATION MODEL
A Thesis
Presented in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Arts in Religion
by
Myckal Morehouse
August 2017

CONTEXTUALIZATION OF THE GOSPEL TO AMERICAN MUSLIMS:
A PROPOSAL FOR A SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST
EVANGELIZATION MODEL
A thesis presented
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree
Master of Arts in Religion
by
Myckal Morehouse
APPROVAL BY THE COMMITTEE:
__________________________ __________________________
Edwin Reynolds, Chairman Greg King, Dean

__________________________ __________________________
Carlos G. Martin, Advisor Date Approved
__________________________
Michael G. Hasel, Member
__________________________
Alan Parker, Member
Dedicated to the glory of God and to the advancement of His
Church. To my wife, Delaney, and children, Joshua and
Abigail, who pressed forward with me.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION 1
Statement of Problem.......................... 3
Purpose of Study.............................. 5
Relevance and Motivation of Study............. 6
Survey of Literature.......................... 7
Methodology and Procedure..................... 10
Delimitations of Study........................ 11
Definition of Terms........................... 12
CHAPTER 2. THE AMERICAN MUSLIM PERSPECTIVE 15
Theological Viewpoints........................ 16
The Six Articles of Faith ................ 18
The Five Pillars of Islam ................ 25
Beliefs, Practices, and Identity of American
Muslims....................................... 33
Views of Christianity......................... 38
CHAPTER 3. THEOLOGICAL COMPARISON BETWEEN SEVENTH-DAY
ADVENTISTS AND MUSLIMS 45
The Godhead................................... 45
The Bible and Inspiration..................... 49
The Nature of Man and Salvation............... 52
The Son of God................................ 56
The Gift of Prophecy.......................... 58
The Second Coming and the End of Time......... 60
The State of the Dead and Hellfire............ 63
The Sabbath and Holy Living................... 68
CHAPTER 4. CONTEXTUALIZATION 71
A Biblical Theology for Contextualization..... 72
Jesus: The Supreme Model ................. 74
The New Testament Church Model ........... 79
A Biblical View of Syncretism................. 88
The Contextualization Spectrum................ 97
Ellen White on Contextualization.............. 103
CHAPTER 5. SYNTHESIS OF AN APPROPRIATE SEVENTH-DAY
ADVENTIST APPROACH TO CONTEXTUALIZATION AMONG
MUSLIMS IN AMERICA 109
Step 1: New Perceptions....................... 111
IV
Step 2: Meeting Them Where They Are........... 114
Step 3: Breaking Down Initial Barriers........ 116
Step 4: Friendship Evangelism................. 118
Step 5: Qur’anic Studies...................... 120
Step 6: Bible Studies......................... 123
Step 7: Contextualized Home Groups............ 126
Step 8: Adventist Ethnic Fellowship........... 130
Step 9: Baptism and New Identity ............. 132
Step 10: Discipleship Training................ 133
CHAPTER 6. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 135
APPENDIX A. ISSUES IN MUSLIM CONTEXTUALIZATION 140
Is Allah God? ............................ 140
Is the Qur’an God’s Word? ................ 142
The Shahada and Muhammad ................. 145
Issues in Mosque Attendance .............. 146
Muslim and Missionary Identity ........... 148
Religious Identity and the Remnant ....... 152
Parallel Structures ...................... 156
Baptism and Church Membership ............ 158
BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................... 161
V
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
In the era of globalization, missiologists are seeking
to find new ways of spreading the gospel. This is because
thousands of different people groups are coming to live in
the major cities of the world. This presents christian
churches an opportunity to literally reach the world within
their own neighborhood or cities.1 What does this mean for
missions to Muslims?
Research indicates that Islam is growing rapidly in
the United States,2 with an estimated three to seven million
adherents in the United States alone.3 To put that into
perspective, the North American Division of the Seventh-day
Adventist Church counts its membership at just over one
1Paul Everett Pierson, The Dynamics of Christian Mission: History
Through a Missiological Perspective (Pasadena, CA: William Carey
International University Press, 2009), 41.
2“Growth of Religion,” Wikipedia, July 2, 2017;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Growth_of_religion#Islam (accessed July
10, 2017). Lipka agrees, adding that Islam is growing faster than all
other religions globally. Michael Lipka, “Muslims and Islam: Key
findings in the U.S. and around the world” Pew Research Center, August
9, 2017; http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/08/09/muslims-and-
islam-key-findings-in-the-u-s-and-around-the-world/ (accessed August
14, 2017).
3Lipka. Martin quotes from a Muslim source that estimates as many
as seven million Muslims in the United States. Carlos G. Martin,
Christianity Among the Religions of the World (Lanham, MD: University
Press of America, 2007), 289.
1
2
million members.4 This means that there are three to seven
times as many Muslims in the United States as there are
Seventh-day Adventists in the entire North American
Division. In light of Islam's increase in the West, Samuel
Escobar, a Peruvian missiologist, gave this commentary:
One of the most significant trends in recent
years is the resurgence of Islam, making it one
of the greatest missionary challenges of today
. . . . Islam is now a rival of Christianity
. . . . even in the heart of cities in Europe and
the United States.5
With this commentary in mind, it is imperative that
missiologists confront the issues of reaching Islam not
only in a Middle Eastern or Southeast Asian context, but
now in the context of Western nations such as Europe and
the United States. This paper seeks to address the
missiological issue of contextualization within the context
of Islam in the United States and provide a Seventh-day
Adventist evangelization model to reach Muslims within the
United States.
4General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, ”Annual Charts and
Statistics,” Seventh-day Adventist Church Office of Archives,
Statistics, and Research; http://www.adventiststatistics.org/
view_Summary.asp?FieldID=D_NAD (accessed May 19, 2015).
5Samuel Escobar, The New Global Mission: The Gospel from
Everywhere to Everyone (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2003),
81-82.
3
Statement of Problem
Although there may be a strong case for focusing
mission efforts on Muslims living within the United States,
there still remains the challenge of defining how missions
should be conducted. For more than 20 years, missiologists
have wrestled primarily with the issue of Muslim identity
as it relates to Christian missions.6 How much of Islamic
culture, customs, language, and beliefs are converts
allowed to retain? Do converts need to identify themselves
as Christian, or is it allowable for them to retain their
Muslim identity while accepting certain doctrines of the
Christian faith? If they can retain their identity, which
doctrines are essential, and which are non-essential?
Regarding these types of questions, Peter Roennfeldt, a
Seventh-day Adventist Church planter, stated that “a major
challenge to both individual witness and official dialogue
is a lack of any consensus on how Adventists should relate
to Muslims.”7 This lack of clarity poses a real problem for
missions.
How missiologists and Muslims have chosen to respond
to these questions has resulted in various Christ-centered
6Timothy Tennent, “The Hidden History of Insider Movements,”
Christianity Today 57, no. 1 (January/February 2013): 28;
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2013/january-february/hidden-
history-of-insider-movements.html?start=1 (accessed July 20, 2015).
7Peter Roennfeldt, “Faith Development in Context: An Overview,” in
Faith Development in Context: Symposium Papers, ed. Bruce L. Bauer
(Berrien Springs, MI: Department of World Mission, Andrews University,
2005), 32.