This weakness always brings "regrets" later on when we look back to those issues. Some have come to a conclusion in their minds, that since Christianity is wrong, then everything in Christian teaching must be wrong.
Or someone else will say since Islam is wrong then every teaching within Islam will be wrong too. We can see examples of this kind of extremism in the C19th and C20th century in Europe. These two centuries exhibited wars of ideologies (The Age of Reason followed by two World Wars – Nationalism and Communism). Each side would say they are absolutely right and the others, wrong.
When we look back to those respective ideologies we can see each one of them had some good and bad points. Politics is said to be the art of compromise, but sometimes it is designed to fail to bring a particular outcome. (Why spoil a good fight).
A new wave
In the Islamic world thousands of people are becoming Christians each year. It is an interesting question that how might have their Muslin theological background contributed to this belief in Jesus Christ and their practice as followers of Jesus Christ.
Moreover, will they now become totally anti Islamic in their theology and excluding any Islamic culture and view about God - or - they will contextualize the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a Islamic worldview and culture so that it will include the positive cultures and teachings of Islam.
There are several challenges to this view of a balanced contextualized theology among believers with this Muslim background.
Westernised missionaries
The first is that most of the people who go to Islamic countries as missionaries to share the Gospel with Muslims or to teach new believers (former Muslims) are outside of the Islamic culture in these Muslim countries.
They know little about Islam and the intricate culture of relationships. Since they do not know about Islam, it is very difficult for them to attempt to contextualize Biblical doctrine and worldview with Islamic teachings.
The result is that these teachers and missionaries will avoid trying to find common bridges between Islamic worldview and Biblical worldview. In my view therefore, the believers who get teachings and trainings in Biblical studies will not be equipped to contextualize it with their own culture and Islamic worldview.
As a result, their Biblical worldview presented will be presenting ideas which will be outside of the society as they have no idea as to how to get into it (as it were).
Breaking culture and custom
The other challenge is when new Christians break from their Islamic culture and they have no logical reason to give for such a decision. So they revert to negativism of their former belief system and culture.
Extreme Christian fundamentalism is often the outcome as they are unable to justify their conversion in words and so their only alternative is that of this hardness against Islam.
Another is that of acceptance into their new Christian community. This is true with all other intellectual, ideological changes, one needs to somehow show they are true believers more so than the true believers.
A fresh approach
When we are in this kind of situation, it is the time for us to show how honest we are. It is important to remember that every religion, ideology and believes have positive teachings in it. Imagine the effect of saying something positive about some ideological position we have left behind.
There were / are positive things in our lives before we believed in Jesus and that displays our honesty.
Fear of the synergistic
The other reason can be the fear of the synergistic. Most of the Biblical teachers and missionaries in Islamic countries are scared that they might end up leaving synergistic tradition. Therefore they want to avoid including anything from Islamic culture and Quran in the believers community to be taught or practiced.
With the factors above mentioned there is high possibility of Christians who were former Muslims holding an extreme opposite theological position against Islamic theology and culture - in my view, a mistake that may take years to correct.
A balance
Where do we go to find a balance in this so as to help build a healthy Christian in such a Muslim society? There is a strong emphasize on certain teachings in evangelical theology which are not much emphasized in Islamic theology – yet at the same time there are strong emphasis on some teachings in Islamic theology which is not emphasized in evangelical theology. Neither has much do to with Salvation but practical living (much like the Proverbs, the Psalms, Ecclesiastes).
This acknowledgment had components of balance. For example in evangelical theology there is lots of emphasis on the unconditional love of God which does not exist in the Islamic view about God.
New Christians from this culture need to learn the value of the unconditional love of God for everyone. In other words, they need to truly learn this part of God's character.
On the other hand there is a strong emphasis on the wrath of God and his justice in Islam that does not exist in evangelical theology as much. There is strong emphasis on the grace of God and salvation through grace in evangelical theology. In Islamic theology there are not many teachings on the grace of God and salvation through grace. It is tough going for many former Muslims who have been converted to Christ to grasp the totality Grace (as opposed to submission to God).
Islamic theology puts lots of emphasis on good actions, which it seems to be not taught very much in the evangelical Christianity I'm part of. One thing I know is that putting emphasis too much on the grace of God without balancing it with the good actions can result in abusing the grace of God, just as too much emphasis on good action without grace can be problematic.
Wisdom
As an evangelical Christian and former Muslim, my hope is that God will give wisdom to the people who are working with Muslims and that those who convert from Islam to Christianity (as I did), can bring a healthy and balanced theology among my fellow converts from Islam to Jesus Christ.
This to glorify God, and in order to show the full picture of God's character, and a theology and worldview that will be accepted and respected in Islamic societies.
Mumin Faizy is a young Christian from the Middle East (Islamic world) and his interest research areas are philosophy and religious studies.
Mumin Faizy's previous articles may be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/mumin-faizy.html