Are Muslim Insider Christ Followers real believers? Are they Muslims or Christians? Does that matter? The topic of insider movements is controversial within the church. The debate rages on, opinions differ widely, and convictions often are defended aggressively. The set of voices safely missing from this hot debate has been that of the insiders themselves. This book finally breaks that silence. Henk Prenger researched the views of 26 Muslim insider Christ followers who are leaders in their movements. You will be surprised by their insights. Prenger presents their views on 21 theology-proper topics such as God, man, the gospel, sin, satan, the cross, heaven and hell, the Bible, and our mandate. He plotted these views in a theological/missional framework with four paradigms. Fundamental, Ecumenical, Integral, and Global. This M-Framework is a powerful catalyst for honest conversations about theological paradigms that inform how we approach insider movements and the kingdom of God on earth. Book jacket.

Are Muslim insider Christ followers real believers? Are they Muslims or Christians? Does that matter? The topic of insider movements is controversial within the church. The debate rages on, opinions differ widely, and convictions often are defended aggressively. The set of voices sorely missing from this hot debate has been that of the insiders themselves. This book finally breaks that silence. Henk Prenger researched the views of 26 Muslim insider Christ followers who are leaders in their movements. You will be surprised by their insights. Prenger presents their views on 21 theology-proper topics such as God, man, the gospel, sin, Satan, the cross, heaven and hell, the Bible, and our mandate. He plotted these views in a theological/missional framework with four paradigms: Fundamental, Ecumenical, Integral, and Global. This M-Framework is a powerful catalyst for honest conversations about theological paradigms that inform how we approach insider movements and the kingdom of God on earth.

For the first time in history, large numbers of people from the world’s major non-Christian religions are following Jesus as Lord. Surprisingly for many Western Christians, they are choosing to do so within the religious communities of their birth and outside of institutional Christianity. How does this work, and how should we respond to these movements? This long-awaited anthology brings together some of the best writings on the topic of insider movements. Diverse voices explore this phenomenon from the perspectives of Scripture, history, theology, missiology, and the experience and identity of insider believers. Those who are unfamiliar with the subject will find this book a crucial guide to a complex conversation. Students and instructors of mission will find it useful as a reader and reference volume. Field workers and agencies will discover in these chapters welcome starting points for dialogue and clearer communication. The first book to provide a comprehensive survey of the topic of insider movements, Understanding Insider Movements is an indispensable companion for those who want to glimpse the creative, unexpected, boundary-crossing ways God is at work among the peoples of the world in their diverse religious communities.

In 1938 the Reverend Henry H. Riggs wrote "Shall We Try Unbeaten Paths in Working for Moslems?" He encouraged the church to help Muslim converts remain inside Islam so that they might not lose their cultural identity. These ideas were soundly denounced by leading missionary scholars of the time: Samuel Zwemer, J. Christy Wilson, and Hendrik Kraemer. In the 1980s Riggs's suggestions bubbled up to the surface with new life in Bangladesh, but the proponents of these views--known as the insider movements (IM)--maintained a low profile. The church did not know what was taking place in Bangladesh until the 1990s when anonymous authors published papers with made-up locations reporting hundreds of thousands of new believers. Today, proponents of IM support their observations of what God is doing among Muslims with eight biblical passages. If the biblical support is real, it behooves you to support missionaries who advocate for IM; but if the biblical evidence is absent, you will have a difficult decision to make. The purpose of this book is help clarify the insider movements' claims and paradigm by simply examining the Scriptures.

Today's tensions between the 'Islamic' East and 'Christian' West run high. Here Paul-Gordon Chandler presents fresh thinking in the area of Christian-Muslim relations, showing how Christ_whom Islam reveres as a Prophet and Christianity worships as the divine Messiah_can close the gap between the two religions. Historically, Christians have taken a confrontational or missionary approach toward Islam, leading many Muslims to identify Christianity with the cultural prejudices and hegemonic ambitions of Westerners. On the individual level, Christ-followers within Islam have traditionally been encouraged by Christians to break away from their Muslim communities. Chandler boldly explores how these two major religions_which share much common heritage_can not only co-exist, but also enrich each other. He illustrates his perspective with examples from the life of Syrian novelist Mazhar Mallouhi, widely read in the Middle East. Mallouhi, a self-identified 'Sufi Muslim follower of Christ,' seeks to bridge the chasm of misunderstanding between Muslims and Christians through his novels.

This close look at what the Lord is doing to spread the gospel highlights the key scriptural principles that help Christians reach out in love to share the gospel in their own community.

Missiologists today are considering the significance of insider movements, followers of Jesus who are emerging from within Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, and other cultural contexts. Are these authentic expressions of Christian faith? If so, how should we understand them? William Dyrness brings a rare blend of cultural and theological engagement to his reflections on this important phenomenon.