Topical

The BibleTexts.com Topical Index

The practice of religion in the Middle East today

a historical perspective on a potentially explosive current issue

edited by Robert Nguyen Cramer (version 4.4.22.1)

A crusade after all? - Some Christians' plans to tie aid to evangelism pose dilemma for Iraqi reconstruction. By Jane Lampman (TCSM, 4/17/03)
Evangelicals condemn anti-Islamic remarks - Leading evangelical Christians for the first time have publicly condemned assaults on Islam by the Rev. Franklin Graham and other fellow religious conservatives. By Rachel Zoll, AP Religion Writer (Yahoo, 5/8/03))
Iraqi Christians wary of Islamists - Christians worry they will lose religious freedoms if Islamic fundamentalists gain power post-Hussein. By Peter Ford
(TCSM, 4/21/03)
Witnessing vs. Proselytizing - A rabbi's perspective on evangelism targeting Jews, and his alternative (ChristianityToday.com)

Relevant Christian history
- Church teachings change on many issues after 313 A.D. (historical descriptions by several scholars)
- Conversion (Bible dictionary definition)
- History of missions to convert Native Americans (by Julia Roller)
- Mission and Conversion: Proselytizing in the Religious History of the Roman Empire, by Martin Goodman (Oxford University Press, 1996). (A detailed book review of this book was done by David Potter, of the University of Michigan.)
- Proselytism Challenges Christian-Muslim Consultation, by the World Council of Churches, 1999
- Sharing the Book: Religious Perspectives on the Rights and Wrongs of Proselytism, edited by John Witte, Richard C. Martin , Martin E. Marty (part of the Religion and Human Rights Series, Orbis Books, December 1999)
- Sharing and giving to the poor, as taught and practiced by the earliest Christians (link to webpage article)
- Sharing and giving to the poor, in the Christian churches of Paul's day (link to webpage transcription of a talk by Dr. Helmut Koester of Harvard Divinity School)
- War motivations and postwar initiatives: Spanish-American War and "economic imperialism" - (historical descriptions by religious historian Robert Peel, including insights regarding religious promotion during the Boxers' Rebellion in China)
Christian teaching

Give to the poor (references)
Golden Rule (references)
Good will toward men (references)
Love in action - How should a church "promote the welfare" of a community? - (a webpage article)
Merciful...obtain mercy (references)
War, early Christians' teachings on (excerpts from the writings of 16 leading Christians before 313 A.D.)
The standard of early Christians -- charity with no strings attached and no publicity:

When you give something to a needy person, do not make a big show of it, as the hypocrites do in the houses of worship and on the streets. They do it so that people will praise them. I assure you, they have already been paid in full. But when you help a needy person, do it in such a way that even your closest friend will not know about it. Then it will be a private matter. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you. (Jesus, Mat 6:2-4, TEV)

Islamic teaching
- Ishmael (Bible dictionary definition)
- Jihad (definition)

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