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Grace for Muslims

The journey from fear to faith

Islamophilia

GRACE FOR MUSLIMS
The journey from fear to faith
By Steve Bell
Authentic Media. 190 pages. £8.99
ISBN 978-1-85078-664-X

At a time when there is a tendency for some books by evangelicals to be Islamo-phobic, it is refreshing to come across this new book with its emphasis on grace for Muslims.

The author, who is well known in the UK in mission circles, has written about his pilgrimage and so in many ways the book is a semi-autobiography. Tracing his own ministry in Egypt and back in the UK, he relates how during these years he himself entered into a deeper experience of God’s grace.

But the point of the book is to discover ways in which this grace can be extended to those from a Muslim background. The book does deal with the dark side of Islam, and in a chapter devoted to the beliefs of Muslims, under the heading of ‘echoes of grace’, the core differences between Islam and Christianity are discussed. Some Muslim background believers might question some of the ‘echoes of grace’ that are claimed as being found in Islam, and some theologians might also question the statement that ‘Islam…differs from Judaism only in degree but not in kind’ (p.87). However, this book is clearly committed to seeing Muslims find God’s grace in Christ.

There is an exciting chapter on how God is working around the world bringing Muslims to faith in Christ, which is followed by the final two challenging chapters. The first contains 11 good reasons why we should as Christians extend grace towards Muslims, seeing them less as a threat and more of an opportunity. The final chapter deals with the issues that need to be considered if we want to develop biblical relationships with Muslims and how to welcome them into our local churches.

Yes, this book is radical in places, but it is written out of a genuine desire to see the grace of God through Christ enter the hearts and lives of Muslims. It is intended to help us as Christians to move forward on this journey from fear to faith.

Malcolm Steer,
Iranian Christian Fellowship, London,
and Fellowship of Faith for the Muslims (FFM)