Towards a Theology of Mission amongst Muslims in Post July 7th Britain

Abstract

In a context of increasing suspicion of religious claims to exclusivism and the apparent dangers of fundamentalism, is it any longer tenable for Christians to consider a missionary vocation amongst Muslims?The article presents summary conclusions from an analysis of Islamic identity in Britain and interviews with leading Christian academics and practitioners in the field of Christian-Muslim relations. Following on from these analyses, there is an interrogation of the theological resources available to Christians that support a witness and dialogue synthesis sufficient to address the diversity and fluidity of British Islamic identity.The study concludes that a Trinitarian model of relatedness, configured in hopeful vulnerability, offers a way forward for a missionary engagement with Muslims in Britain that allows for subjective witness. This unpredictable and humble approach to relationships avoids the totalizing of the Muslim and allows for an expectant and hopeful response from Muslims reflective of the fluidity and diversity within Islam. Such a model of mission is able to see Muslims as gifts to the Church, authenticating and deepening the Church's Christian identity.