Dr. Anthony Greenham of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary did a study of Palestinian MBB's back in 2004 entitled "Muslim Conversions to Christ: An Investigation of Palestinian Converts living in the Holy Land." He interviewed 22 MBB's (11 men and 11 women).
Greenham in Ch 5 provides two lists of categories explaining why Muslims convert:
Lesser Importance are
1) political Instability,
2) Rejection of Islam,
3) Christian Media,
4) Personal Crisis,
5) Community,
6) God’s Honor.
The categories of “Greater Prominance” are
1) Reading the Bible,
2) Role of Believers,
3) Truth of Jesus’ Message,
4) God’s Miraculous Involvement,
5) Person of Jesus.
Update on this: most of Ant Greenham's research and findings were published in an article in St Francis Magazine. Here is THE LINK.
8 comments:
Why just include the evangelical population and not the total Christian population?
I agree. Not much of a list when anything involving strict Catholicism is excluded. Why even put this list on New Advent?
Hi Jim,
I'm not sure what you mean, the post says nothing about evangelicals or Catholics. The list certainly shows that this guy is evangelical, and he teaches at a conservative seminary, but that doesn't mean his scholarship is not useful.
I don't know of a single Muslim convert to Catholicism living in the Middle East, to be honest. Catholics here in the ME just don't de evangelism, and when the priests are approached by people looking to be baptized they get sent to the evangelical churches BY the Catholic priests. The Orthodox do the same.
"The first will be the last..." May be a neo form of saying that "we are already established" as Catholics. Let those lazy priests remmember that "... God can raise stones to worship Him" if the elect decide not to do His work and the Great Commision. Let them not continue to SHOUT of persecution and get out of their comfort zones and do the work of the Master. I don't give a damn whether it is Catholics that get pagans converted to a fellowship with God or Evangelicals or who...as far as people experience the Love of God and enjoy a fellowship with him... I'm happy for those doing that work.
What? and not Which? type of priest will turn down somebody who needs baptism for God's sake? Certainly they are not Catholic priests. Please those types of priests need baptism no matter what reasons they may have for doing that. Is it fear of persecution or what. It is difficult to understand that. Come Lord Jesus.
Hello Lato: yes, it is mostly fear of persecution.
I think the Catholic Church has some great resources to contribute to mission work in the Muslim world, but by an large, at least IN the Muslim world, there are very few signs of life.
AD
Thanks Abu. But what those carrying the Cross of Christ and witnessing with that means. I live in Africa, Northern Nigeria and Jos Plateau State where there is serious persecution of Christians but we are evengelize muslims and counsel converts as a Catholic lay person. What shall a man gain if looses his soul and gains the whole world... May be that is not the right quotation and the right context. I pray for the priests in that region and may the Lord strenghten them in their difficult situations. May they use this Year of Priests and re-examine their voccation.
Nice post you got here. It would be great to read more about that topic.
BTW look at the design I've made myself A level escorts
Post a Comment