Honest Conversations

Thursday August 16 2018

John Clark explains the importance of dialogue between Christians and Muslims, the focus of a conference in Dundee in November.

Honest, and at times dishonest, conversations between Muslims and Christians have taken place since the early days of Islam 1500 years ago.

Both Islam and Christianity make exclusive truth claims which can generate challenging conversations at the best of times and perhaps even more challenging conversations in the context of the political, social, economic and religious contexts of today.

Together, Christians and Muslims comprise nearly half of the world’s population. Islam is the second largest religion in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, accounting for 4.4% of the population in the 2011 Census. These statistics and the pressing issues facing our increasingly interdependent world should encourage us to reflect on our thoughts about Islam, our friendship with Muslims and Jesus’ mandate to 'make disciples of all nations’.

Is it possible to have conversations about evangelism, da’wah (Arabic: دعوة‎‎ "invitation” by proselytising or preaching) and dialogue with honesty and integrity, or are they best avoided, like the elephant in the room? This is the question which will be taken up in formal presentations by experienced practitioners and in workshops, at ‘Honest Conversations’ on Thursday November 15 at the Steeple Church in Dundee.

In one of the great scriptural accounts of hospitality, Abraham and Sarah welcome, refresh, and feed three unknown guests under the Oaks of Mamre (Genesis 18). Their hosting efforts are noteworthy. Disregarding the heat of the day, Abraham and Sarah move toward their guests. They do not wait for the three to come to them; they initiate the encounter, eventually feeding these strangers with bread, a precious calf, and milk and curds. But the surprise of the story is found in the fact that these strangers come to give their host a gift. They do not come merely to receive. They come bearing a gift - the promise of a child.

Stirred by this account, it seemed to me, twelve years ago, a good idea to invite a small group of Christian and Muslim university students whom I knew into our home for a meal and an opportunity for ‘honest conversation’. Even if it was to be a ‘one-off’, it would still be a worthwhile opportunity for me to meet young Muslims and learn first-hand about their faith. This act of hospitality was to be the start of a journey, not unlike Abraham’s in that we set out and went, even though we didn’t know where we were going!

The journey has been wide-ranging, enriching and a blessing in many different ways. The way has avoided the extremes of syncretism and polemics and has been guided by the principles described in Ethical Guidelines for Christian and Muslim Witness in Britain developed by the Christian Muslim Forum.

Twelve years ago, I knew very little about Islam and had no Muslim friends. My knowledge came from the secular and Christian media which often portrayed a stereotypical homogenous and sometimes demonising view of Islam and Muslims. The first simple step of hospitality was the beginning of a journey which has enriched my own Christian faith and also my understanding of Islam, Muslims and the Qur’an.

The experience has made it possible for me to see the world from the perspective of the ‘other’ without losing the unique perspective of my own Christian faith. Honest conversations have been possible in different formats, in the University, in two Mosques, in my church and in coffee shops. They have certainly helped me, and I believe others, to see better God’s truth about myself, my Muslim neighbour and the wider world. I have no doubt that like Abraham and Sarah I have been gifted much more than I have given and that this is also the experience of others who have reached out to the ‘other’. I hope it will be the experience of many more.

The Honest Conversations conference will be hosted by the Rt Rev Susan Brown. Keynote speakers include Canon Dr Andrew Smith, Director of Interfaith Relations for the Bishop of Birmingham, and Musharaff Hussein, chair of the Christian Muslim Forum. For more details and to register visit the event page on Eventbrite.

John Clark is an elder at the Steeple Church, Dundee