EMQ » January–March 2018 » Vol. 54 Issue 1
Book Review
Muslim Insider Christ Followers: Their Theological and Missional Frames
Jan Hendrik Prenger
William Carey Library, 2017, 339 pages, $26.99
Reviewed by John Cheong, a missiologist that teaches, consults and resources workers reaching Southeast Asian Muslims.
Muslim Insider is a response to the Lausanne call to evaluate insider movements (IM) to address ignorance of “the theological and/or missional frames of IM leaders and their communal theologizing process” (5). Based on field research of twenty-six insider views and five alongsiders (expatriates working closely with insiders), it gives “voice to … the Muslim insider Christ followers who are leaders of insider movements” (xix).
Comprised of six chapters, the first two expertly summarize debates over IM and its contextualization practices. Chapter 4 introduces the “M-framework”. Also, each chapter is accompanied by an analysis of the interviewees’ comments such as “[If]Jesus cannot do anything after death [,] He is not Lord anymore”. “We do not read that in the Bible…that Isa is Allah”.
Jan Hendrik Prenger’s M-framework comprises four paradigms: fundamental (Crucicentric), ecumenical (ecclesiocentric), integral (Christocentric) and global (Creation-centric). The first sees the gospel as restoring one’s personal relationship with God upon believing in Christ, centered on the cross and resurrection; which Prenger links with high Calvinism/Reformed theology. The second includes the first but embraces “modernist theology and Arminianism”. Paradigm three merges gospel proclamation and demonstration in terms of holistic transformation of societies. Paradigm four concerns establishing God’s kingdom on earth through sacrificial love, bringing all creation to Christ.
The range of insider views on theology proper, Scripture and God’s mission in Prenger’s M-framework are wide. There is no simple correlation between more biblically conservative insiders (paradigms 1-2) versus the more “global” insiders (paradigms 3-4) in their understanding of the Trinity, Christ as the son of God or contextualization. Some IMers hold to a high Christology (e.g., Isa is God) while others don’t. The term “Trinity” is never used by IMers as questioning God’s nature “is irreverent” because they are uncomfortable describing God’s essence which they “consider a mystery [not] ontological statements” (237).
The book is invaluable for emically understanding a broad cross-section of insiders while trying to persuade readers that IMers share the same theological paradigms (i.e., paradigms one and two) as their critics (310). By analyzing the IMers’ formal religious background and their relationship to various alongsiders (230-232) we understand that the near/far proximity of these alongsiders to the IMers correlates to the degree of theological influence. The book also has over one hundred data plots and tables, painting a big picture schematic of each insiders’ views. However, data from just twenty-six IMers means caution must be applied towards any broad generalization.
There are two serious shortcomings of the book. One is the absence of female IMers. On this, readers should access Kathryn Kraft’s work (see below-although it is more sociological than theological). We also don’t fully know many alongsiders’ theological backgrounds, begging the question of the theological (not merely geographical) influence they had upon IMers
This book may not end all debates between proponents of insider movements versus their critics. However it is a ground-breaking work that will leave all readers with a fuller understanding of how IMers genuinely understand the Bible, God, Jesus and his mission.
For further reading:
Kraft, Kathryn Ann. 2012. Searching for Heaven in the Real World: A Sociological Discussion of Conversion in the Arab Wworld. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock.
Little, Don. 2015. Effective Discipling in Muslim Communities: Scripture, History and Seasoned Practices. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic.
