“You are Jesus, and I am your bird”: Christ, Persian poetry, and theological imagination in the Iranian diaspora

Abstract

The growth of the gospel amongst the Iranian diaspora remains markedly unexamined in missiological circles. The few existing analyses draw attention to disillusionment with Islam as a result of the current political regime in Iran, sustaining an extractionist approach which tends to marginalize interest in spiritual resources Iranians find attractive and useful in their diasporic experience. This article explores the potential of classical Persian poetry, and its depictions of Jesus in particular, to inform and expand missiological engagement with the Iranian diaspora. Following a discussion of three poetic representations of Jesus, consideration is given as to how these representations might serve as sites for both creative evangelistic endeavour and as a potential source of reflection for Iranian Christians.