EMQ » January – April 2024 » Volume 60 Issue 1
Christ-Followers in Other Religions: The Global Witness of Insider Movements
By Darren Todd Duerksen
Regnum Books International, 2022
206 pages US$21.00
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Reviewed by Alan Howell who served in Mozambique among the Makua-Metto people (2003–2018) and as visiting professor of missions at Harding University (2019–2023).
How can we thoughtfully consider the stories of followers of Jesus who instead of converting out of their religion, faith, or family, are convicted to stay in as agents of reconciliation? What would it look like to find ways to assist and honor these brave ones who are willing to be strange Muslims or strange Hindus while many of us may perceive them as strange Christians?
Since both the paths of staying in and converting out each have their own share of pitfalls and dangers, where can we find wise guides to help us navigate this terrain? Darren Duerksen steps into this complex space, sharing from his own experience in South Asia, and introducing readers to the testimonies of those who have been a part of insider movements. His book is a helpful orientation, highlighting the stories of those who are staying in their religious and relational communities for the sake of Christ.
Duerksen begins by framing his exploration in terms of practice and on-the-ground realities (4–5). This way of starting the conversation helps move us past some barriers created by colonialism and helpful but limiting missiological conceptualizations like people groups and contextualization (5–13). Duerksen argues that “insider movements are shaping alternative missiological imaginaries from which other Christ-followers can learn, or re-learn, insights about God and his mission” (15). One of those insights is that hybridity is not something we necessarily need to be afraid of, because God has often been at work in hybrid religiosity.
The book’s middle section is made up of case studies of insider Christ followers. The stories of Black Elk (a Lakota Native-American Christ-follower) and O. Kandaswamy Chetti (a Christ-following Hindu reformer) are followed by contemporary examples from different parts of the world. Duerksen allows the reader to listen to the voice of the insiders whenever possible, while also bringing in reflections from alongsiders – those Western and non-Western companions and friends of insiders (65). These stories allow us to consider additional questions that are covered in the last section of the book: revelation and religious texts, salvation, conversion, and family relationships. Duerksen is a helpful and thoughtful guide, introducing readers to a wider conversation about insider movements. Listening to their perspectives develops the imagination necessary for what it would take for someone to leave the ninety-nine of World Christianity to go after the one (or more) lost sheep in their own religious tradition. This would be a helpful resource for both undergraduate and seminary classes.
For Further Reading:
Better Religion: A Primer for Interreligious Peacebuilding by John D. Barton (Baylor University Press, 2022).
Toward Respectful Understanding and Witness among Muslims: Essays in Honor of J. Dudley Woodberry edited by Evelyne A. Reisacher (William Carey Library, 2012).
EMQ, Volume 60, Issue 1. Copyright © 2024 by Missio Nexus. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced or copied in any form without written permission from Missio Nexus. Email: EMQ@MissioNexus.org.
