Who Shall Enter Paradise? recounts in detail the history of Christian-Muslim engagement in a core area of sub-Saharan Africa's most populous nation, home to roughly equal numbers of Christians and Muslims. It is a region today beset by religious violence, in the course of which history has often been told in overly simplified or highly partisan terms. This book reexamines conversion and religious identification not as fixed phenomena, but as experiences shaped through cross-cultural encounters, experimentation, collaboration, protest, and sympathy. Shobana Shankar relates how Christian missions and African converts transformed religious practices and politics in Muslim Northern Nigeria during the colonial and early postcolonial periods. Although the British colonial authorities prohibited Christian evangelism in Muslim areas and circumscribed missionary activities, a combination of factors--including Mahdist insurrection, the abolition of slavery, migrant labor, and women's evangelism--brought new converts to the faith. By the 1930s, however, this organic growth of Christianity in the north had given way to an institutionalized culture based around medical facilities established in the Hausa emirates. The end of World War II brought an influx of demobilized soldiers, who integrated themselves into the local Christian communities and reinvigorated the practice of lay evangelism. In the era of independence, Muslim politicians consolidated their power by adopting many of the methods of missionaries and evangelists. In the process, many Christian men and formerly non-Muslim communities converted to Islam. A vital part of Northern Nigerian Christianity all but vanished, becoming a religion of "outsiders."

Who Shall Enter Paradise? recounts in detail the history of Christian-Muslim engagement in a core area of sub-Saharan Africa’s most populous nation, home to roughly equal numbers of Christians and Muslims. It is a region today beset by religious violence, in the course of which history has often been told in overly simplified or highly partisan terms. This book reexamines conversion and religious identification not as fixed phenomena, but as experiences shaped through cross-cultural encounters, experimentation, collaboration, protest, and sympathy. Shobana Shankar relates how Christian missions and African converts transformed religious practices and politics in Muslim Northern Nigeria during the colonial and early postcolonial periods. Although the British colonial authorities prohibited Christian evangelism in Muslim areas and circumscribed missionary activities, a combination of factors—including Mahdist insurrection, the abolition of slavery, migrant labor, and women’s evangelism—brought new converts to the faith. By the 1930s, however, this organic growth of Christianity in the north had given way to an institutionalized culture based around medical facilities established in the Hausa emirates. The end of World War II brought an influx of demobilized soldiers, who integrated themselves into the local Christian communities and reinvigorated the practice of lay evangelism. In the era of independence, Muslim politicians consolidated their power by adopting many of the methods of missionaries and evangelists. In the process, many Christian men and formerly non-Muslim communities converted to Islam. A vital part of Northern Nigerian Christianity all but vanished, becoming a religion of “outsiders.”

New York Times bestselling books have taken the view that the oldest New Testament documents paint a very different picture to later copies. Others are of the opinion that the original gospel accounts were never intended to be historically accurate. Many people assume that the bias of the original New Testament authors distorted their recollections of Jesus, and Jesus' words were not put into written form for several decades, allowing distortion to occur. What would you say? What do you believe and why? Were Jesus' words recorded accurately by the gospel writers during Jesus' life & the making & copying of the New Testament? This highly readable journey of discovery considers gospel textual criticism, Christian historiography, archaeology, literacy & more. See evidence for the reliability of the recounting of Jesus as found in the Bible. This Christian apologetic book provides evidence in an engaging manner, following along a logical journey of discovery. When you've purchased and read this book you will: - understand how literate and historically aware the ancient civilisations were - appreciate how it was possible for the first disciples to accurately record Jesus' life and teachings - have a highly readable explanation of early Greek New Testament documents and know what they have to say about accuracy in copying - know the content and credibility of non-Christian ancient literature that comment on Jesus and the first Christians.

This stunning collection showcases the love poetry and mystical teachings at the heart of the Islamic tradition in accurate and poetic original translations At a time when the association of Islam with violence dominates headlines, this beautiful collection offers us a chance to see a radically different face of the Islamic tradition. It traces a soaring, poetic, popular tradition that celebrates love for both humanity and the Divine as the ultimate path leading humanity back to God. Safi brings together for the first time the passages of the Qur'an sought by the Muslim sages, the mystical sayings of the Prophet, and the teachings of the path of "Divine love." Accurately and sensitively translated by leading scholar of Islam Omid Safi, the writings of Jalal al‑Din Rumi can now be read alongside passages by Kharaqani, 'Attar, Hafez of Shiraz, Abu Sa'id‑e Abi 'l‑Khayr, and other key Muslim mystics. For the millions of readers whose lives have been touched by Rumi's poetry, here is a chance to see the Arabic and Persian traditions that produced him.

The decolonization process in The Gambia threw up political leaders who in various ways contributed to the emancipation of the country. Regrettably, very limited efforts have been made to put on record the experiences of these personalities, not only as part of a process of knowledge generation and transfer but as a source of inspiration for those aspiring to leadership. This volume is a step in that direction. It chronicles the life of The Very Reverend J.C. Faye, a man of many parts and an icon. Like other distinguished leaders of his day Fayes leadership instincts could not be contained in a single sphere of activity; they were a license to venture into different areas and to squally confront the challenges therein. As the activist Faye could not be separated from his times, the narrative leads to a comprehensive examination of his involvement in the fields of education, the Church, and in the political system. We thus have a thorough discussion of political and constitutional development in The Gambia in the late decolonization and early post-independence period. Full treatment is also given to the linkages and overlaps in his engagement in these three fields of operation, resulting in a rich tapestry of commitment to service to his people and to his country. One observation that stands out in the description and analysis of the politics of the day is that from early days Faye was a strident opponent of the colonial system. In the pursuit of the goal of self-government and independence for The Gambia, he was ready to take on all perceived perpetrators of colonialism. This struggle, revolving around sustained demands for constitutional advancement, occupied much of his attention and energies. But then in the larger society new forces were to emerge to challenge pioneers like him, leading to his formation of alliances with contending forces. And, as happens in politics, a series of miscalculations eventually led to the end of an outstanding political career.

Ever since the dawn of human life on this planet, Man has always sought to understand Nature, his own place in the scheme of Creation and the purpose of Life itself. In this quest for Truth, spanning many centuries and diverse civilizations, organized religion has shaped human life and determined to a large extent, the course of history. While some religions have been based on books, claimed by their adherents to be divinely inspired, others have relied solely on human experience. Al-Qur’aan, the main source of the Islamic faith, is a book believed by Muslims, to be of completely Divine origin. Muslims also believe that it contains guidance for all mankind. Since the message of the Qur’aan is believed to be for all times, it should be relevant to every age. Does the Qur’aan pass this test? In this booklet, I intend to give an objective analysis...