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Title: Islam: An Introduction for Christians by Paul Varo Martinson, Stefanie O. Cox, Paul V. Martinson ISBN: 0-8066-2583-X Publisher: Augsburg Fortress Publishers Pub. Date: March, 1994 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $17.99

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Average Customer Rating: 4.17 (6 reviews)

Rating: 5
Summary: What Makes Those Guys Tick?
Comment: One of the aftermaths of the World Trade Center/Pentagon attacks
was that there was an increased interest in Islam. People wanted to know what makes those guys tick. _Islam:an Introduction for Christians_ was originally written in Germany in 1990(and translated in 1994) as an ecumenical tool to help Christains understand Islam. Even so _Islam_ is an excellent place to start the study of the world's fastest growing religion.

The chapters of the book touch on a variety of subjects. The first seven discuss Islamic faith: the Qur'an and Mohammed, the Five Pillars, law and justice, the family, and death and burial. Paul Martinson then inserted into the English translation a section on Islam in North America. The third part of the book discusses Islamic movements of the present and past and the emphases of these various groups. The fourth part of the book relates Islam and Christianity. How have these two religions acted as they have encountered each other in the past? What about Jerusalem? How is Jesus addressed in the Qur'an? The last part of the book offers a Christian appreciation of Islam.

_Islam_ again and again comes back to a simplified answer of what makes those guys tick. On page 101 the story is told of a Ms Lahaj who had been a folk singer in Greenwich Village in the 1970's and who rediscovered Islam. "Everything there had been the same for the last 1400 years." The Sharia, the traditional law, as it has been known for centuries has come into conflict with Western values. _Islam_ makes this plain in an anecdote about a chance encounter between a man and the wife of a new Islamic family (page 18), in the chapter on women and the family, in the chapter on marriages between Christians and Muslims, and elsewhere. To this _Islam_ adds (page 133) the note that in the 19th and 20th centuries when Europeon powers practiced colonialization in Islamic countries, the new values introduced by the foreigners presented "profound difficulties" for Muslims.

It is a simplified answer, but that is what makes those guys tick.

Rating: 3
Summary: A Concise Sociological Introduction for Secular Use
Comment: First of all I make an important observation having nothing to do with the content of the book. The binding of the softcover edition that I have pretty much falls apart on the first reading. If you underline and make notes like I do, then this weakness will prove a real drawback.

Martinson is the editor of the English edition of this book, prepared and expanded for use in the United States from informational material originally prepared for use in Germany. The translation was done by Stephanie Ormsby Cox. I thought the treatment of the subject was fair and adequate, but I have nothing to compare it against at this time. Islam is presented as a religion that is subject to strong sectarianism and cultural prejudices that often overpower Qur'anic teaching. As I read this introduction I could not help but wonder how Christianity is perceived by non-Christians.

Prior to reading this book I purchased two competing English translations of the Qur'an, because I could not tell that I would get an accurate impression from reading only one. I confess to having completely read only one translation of the Qur'an so far, while comparing interesting passages with the other English translation. I report the impression that strong sectarian tendencies cannot be hidden when these two English translations are compared. While I certainly do not pretend that this phenomenon does not occur in English translations of the Bible, I do not have tools to educate myself regarding the proper interpretation of Qur'anic Arabic. I fear an English reader is at the mercy of the translation of choice. Should a second English translation be consulted, then the English only reader is even more confused.

I decided to read Martinson's book after my first reading of the Qur'an, and I believe I got much more from the book because of this approach. Many of the points that were emphasized by quotations from Suras had already been observed by me. This helped me gain confidence that my observations were not merely manifesting prejudices. Martinson's book claims to have been afforded the benefit of oversight and input from knowledgeable Muslims as a safequard to accuracy.

I report distress at how little confidence I gained in the ability to sytematize Qur'anic teachings from reading either one English translation of the Qur'an or from reading Martinson's book. As a serious Christian, I have studied the Bible for over 30 years, and I can attest to a conviction that there is no end to the need and desire to systematize the teaching that is provided through revelation. The Qur'an teaches that the previous "people of the book" corrupted what had been revealed before, but what is offered in place of the Bible is certainly not an improvement.

Rating: 5
Summary: Good stuff!
Comment: I thought this book was very helpful. Not only did it address the actual Koranic beliefs of Islam, it also covered the traditions and societal roles of modern Muslims, as well as the history of the Islamic faith. Also, I found the Christian aspects of the commentary to be quite accurate and true to Biblical concepts. On the whole, this book is about as objectively informative as it gets, I imagine. It does not attempt to qualify either faith and appears to be a genuine effort to enlighten and encourage Christian readers in their interactions with Muslim individuals. On a side note, I am personally a Christian, but I have a great deal of respect for the Islamic way of life, as I have had many encounters with truly amazing people who embrace the faith in full. This book only bolstered my respect and admiration for the discipline, nobility, and integrity of devout Muslim people. A great insight into the true Islamic religion!