C5 “Messianic Muslims”
C stands for “Christ-centered Communities”
C1 refers to “traditional church using outsider language”
C2 refers to “traditional church using insider language”
C3 refers to “contextualized Christ-centered communities using insider language and religiously neutral cultural forms”
C4 refers to “contextualized Christ-centered communities using insider language and biblically permissible cultural and Islamic forms”
C5 refers to “Christ-centered communities of ‘Messianic Muslims’ who have accepted Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior”
C6 refers to “small Christ-centered communities of secret underground believers”
Tennent defines “insider” as a person in the C-5 category of “Christ-centered communities of ‘Messianic Culture’ who have accepted Jesus(’Issa) as Lord and Savior” (TT, 197). They are legally and socially Muslims, refer to themselves as Muslims, are regarded by the Muslim community as Muslims, in other words, they are fully embedded in the Islamic community (TT, 197). They reject non-biblical principles of Islamic theology incompatible with the Christian faith; half of them continue to attend the mosque and gather in small groupings (known as Jesus Mosques - TT, 197). C-5 believers are referred to as “insider movement;” it is inaccurate to call them MBBs but rather MBs (Muslim believers) (TT, 201).
C-5 “insider movement” posed biblical, theological, and ethical arguments as to whether this movement is valid? Could one say “yes” to Jesus and “no” to the Church? Could a C-5 Muslim continue to call himself/herself a Muslim after accepting Christ as Lord and Savior, while still being fully embedded in the Islamic community? All the “C” categories from 1-5 aim at proper contextualization (from low to high); however, sometimes the goal of contextualization goes off track towards either ethno-centric extractionism (excessive separation from one’s cultural context C1 or C2) or syncretism (C5) (TT, 199).
The biblical/exegetical arguments purported to be in support of C-5 contextualization are Acts 15:19, 1 Co 7:20, 1 Co 9:19-22, and 2 Kg 5:18-19. Acts 15, the Jerusalem Council, confirmed that gentiles are saved by grace through faith and the prohibitions served to separate them from their former religious identity as pagans; Acts 15 retained “multiple cultures and lifestyles” but not religious identity (TT, 203-204). So this argument is in support for C-4 but does not justify C-5 for keeping the religious identity. 1 Co 7:20 is in support of C-4 and not C-5 because Paul encouraged gentile believers to remain in their situation in which they were when God called them; that was in relation to marriage and slavery which was a social issue and in relation to circumcision in the flesh that was discontinued by the circumcision of the heart by the Spirit (TT, 206-207). 1 Co 9:19-22 is more related to incarnational ministries (entering the socio-political-cultural world) than extractionistic (separation from one’s culture) (TT, 208). 2 Kg 5:18-19 is ambiguous and cannot be held to advocate a position for C-5 (TT, 209). Based on God’s amazing diversity, C-5 advocate, Joshua Massey writes, “C-5 practitioners insist that…Muslims do not have to convert to ‘Christianity’ to follow Jesus” (TT, 209).
According to Tennent, both C-4 and C-5 do not have to convert to Christianity to follow Jesus but the difference is one of separating oneself from identifying with their Islamic religious identity. Just like staying in Judaism or in paganism in Paul’s perspective, the issue was that both needed to acknowledge their sinfulness and need for grace, and embrace together their new identity in Christ Jesus (TT, 210). But keeping one’s original religious identity without embracing the new identity in Christ and separating themselves from the Body of Christ is a truncated faith that will eventually lead them to syncretism.
The theological arguments are concerned with the faith experience with Jesus of C-5. Most C-5 (97% ) background Islamic concept of exclusivism was transferred from Mohamed to Jesus Christ; 96% believe the Qur’an is among the four holy heavenly books; 66% believe the Qur’an is the greatest book; and 45% do not believe in the Trinity; others hold unorthodox view of Christ not God and distortion and inferiority of the Bible in comparison to the Qur’an (TT, 211-212). Such research statistics findings raise the question, “how can C-5 be expected to flourish as the church of Jesus Christ?”(TT, 211). The authority of the Bible and the Trinity are core doctrines in the Christian faith and are necessary for salvation. Arguing that the understanding of Christian doctrines is not required for salvation (TT, 212) is detrimental for the long-term faith and witness of C-5, as it separates soteriology from ecclesiology. Soteriology becomes individual and equated to justification, neglecting sanctification, and glorification; so it becomes a reductionist doctrine of salvation that doesn’t consider the Apostolic Creed that has gathered the basic Christian doctrines. The focus then becomes on personal faith and experience with Jesus that remains locked in without being shared; in other words, there is a break between personal experience with Jesus Christ and the apostolic proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ (TT, 213). A proper doctrine of salvation (justification, sanctification, and glorification) emphasizes the life of the church through time and space, common faith, and unity in the Body of Christ (the Church) (TT, 214).
In brief, the theological arguments are raised against a reductionist approach to salvation, an individualized personal Christ-centered faith that separates soteriology from ecclesiology, leading to a break between C-5 personal testimony and the apostolic proclamation of the gospel. In line with Tennent, “pragmatism can never be allowed to trump theological integrity of the gospel. Cultural accommodation cannot be extended at the expense of theological compromise…We are committed to raising up believers whose personal faith resonates with the ‘faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints’ (Jude 3)” (TT, 216).
The ethical argument questions C-5 retaining the Muslim religious identity after becoming followers of Jesus Christ. Tennent and other scholars argue that it is unethical to retain the Islamic religious identity and that there should be a clear rupture, otherwise, new identity in Jesus Christ means nothing. When C-5 are discovered, Muslims react negatively; besides, it could damage the credibility of Christians and creates a lack of trust. A more open, contextually sensitive witness is encouraged and bears the potential for effective, ethical Christian “penetration into the Muslim world” (TT, 217).
To conclude, C-5 cannot be called MBBs but MBs followers of Jesus Christ that live a syncretic life of confusing two religions simultaneously. Theologically, C-5 are not fully followers of Christ Jesus for they still hold part and parcel of Islamic theology that deny the deity of Jesus Christ and the Trinity, that core doctrines for salvation. They have reduced salvation to justification by the personal experience with Jesus Christ and separated themselves from the life of the church, which is an essential part in the comprehensive long-term view of salvation as justification (past), sanctification (present), and glorification (future). It is through the unity with the Body of Christ (church) that C-5 can experience the fullness of God and understand God’s redemptive plan through the church. Separating soteriology from ecclesiology is tantamount to cutting themselves from the church which is the fullness of Him who fills all in all (Eph 1:23). C-5 followers of Jesus miss totally on the issue of radical discipleship to Jesus that mandates total separation from the past and forsaking everything to follow Jesus. C-5 are not mature enough to take that step; if they do not fall into syncretism and the Holy Spirit is kindled in their hearts with the love and faith of God as Christ, they will eventually move to C-4 and pay the price of discipleship and of confrontation (if necessary). C-5 MBs need more time to experience Jesus, to be connected to C-4 churches, to understand doctrinal teaching and apostolic creeds, to be convinced in the authenticity of the deity of Jesus Christ, to receive the spirit of revelation on the Trinity, to accept the inerrancy of the Bible despite the attacks, to experience life in community in order to know the value of the Body of Christ. My prayers for C-5 are to have a faith without the shadow of a doubt, to take the bold step of radical discipleship for Jesus Christ and to receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit that will kindle their hearts ablaze with love for the Triune God—the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Egyptian Context
In my Egyptian experience, MBBs remain unknown as to their religious background; they take on Christian names, dress, talk, pray, and eat like Christians. In matters of marriage, hardly ever would any Christian family give her daughter to a MBB; they were not openly welcomed in the church because of the problems surrounding them. However, I think this situation has eased a bit with the growth MBBs for they get married among themselves. Most MBBs in Egypt are either C-3 or C-4; C-5 probably exist but I know not of any, nor do they declare themselves. Usually whole families come to Christ, as is the case in shame-based cultures. The Church in Egypt needs to stand for all the “C” categories, encourage their faith, and incorporate them in the Body of Christ as cherished and beloved members, valuable to God’s heart. They need to know and to feel that the church is adopting their case, legally before the authorities (which is somewhat happening but sporadically). The Church in Egypt is not at all ready to change its cultural norms to win MBBs. May be it adopts western strategies of block parties, inviting foreign speakers, evangelistic outreaches, preaching techniques, and media evangelism to win nominal Christians but not MBBs. This is due mainly to the unofficial legal restrictions imposed on evangelizing non-Christians. I pray for freedom of belief for Muslims to choose the God they want to worship and to be able to openly profess Him, in order to live a life of integrity, inwardly and outwardly.
Bibliography
Tennent, Timothy C. Theology in the Context of World Christianity: How the Global Church is influencing the Way we think about and discuss Theology. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2007.
For more reading on the C1-C6 Spectrum
Tennent, Timothy. Followers of Jesus in Islamic Mosques: a Closer Examination of C5 'High Spectrum" Contextualization. http://www.ijfm.org/PDFs_IJFM/23_3_PDFs/Tennent.pdf
No comments:
Post a Comment