Penetrating the Islamic Curtain

Penetrating the Islamic Curtain

By Nico Bougas, Special to ASSIST News Service (ANS Book Review)

CINCINNATI, OHIO (ANS – July 4, 2017) -- At the recent International Christian Retail Show in Cincinnati, Ohio, I met up with Kent Philpott, a Californian pastor who has a special ministry to Muslims.

He began the interview by telling me that after the notorious 9/11 disaster it was some time before he ceased being fearful, angry and hateful towards Muslims. He said that like many others he lumped all Muslims into the extremist category. Though he read about some Muslims coming to faith he could not shake off the antagonism he felt towards them. He did not distinguish between the radicals, moderates, liberals and progressives in the diverse Muslim world.

“Then,” he says, “I found I had a love for Muslim people. I can only credit that to the working of the Holy Spirit.” He started acquiring a number of books on Islamic-related subjects. In addition, he began teaching a course of Islam that continued for two years. He even began to attend the local Sunni mosque for their Friday prayer service. He has made many friends there, including the imams. His own little Miller Avenue Baptist Church, where he has been a pastor since 1984, cooperates in a food program with the mosque to help those in need.

He has also produced a book, “Islamic Studies: Equipping the Christian witness to Muslims” and comments, “From the outset I wanted to write a single volume on Islam that would give others what they needed to understand the religion and help them present the Gospel to Muslim people.

Philpott hopes that readers will come away understanding the important ideas and positions of Islam and why so many have become radicalized. The book is intended to be a handy reference for those who seek to understand the history, theology and traditions of Islam. It is also meant to equip those in the Christian faith who seek to be a witness to Muslim friends, neighbors and acquaintances. It also contains a helpful glossary of terms related to Muslims.

Philpott contends that Muslims are people loved by God and are not the Christian’s enemies as the Apostle Paul says in Ephesians 6.12, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

“Jesus”, he says,” is the light of the world, and the work of the evangelical Christian is to let that light shine. “

Copies of the book, Islamic Studies: Equipping the Christian Witness to Muslims by Kent Philpott (Earthen Vessel Publishing) are available from Christian bookstores or from Amazon: http://amzn.to/2syZ1Jr and other online booksellers.

Other books authored by Kent Philpott include: If Allah Wills and If God Wills: bringing the Crescent to the Cross.

Photo captions: 1) Kent Philpott, the author. 2) The author’s first book related to Islam: If God Wills: Bringing the Crescent to the Cross. 3) Nico Bougas with his wife, Bee.

About the writer: Nico Bougas is the International Development Director for Hellenic Ministries. He has a master's degree in communication from Wheaton Graduate School and M. Div and D. Min degrees from Trinity Theological Seminary. He is the author of five books. He previously worked for Youth for Christ in South Africa and was Editor of In Magazine and Christian Living TODAY and currently serves as Consulting Editor for JOY Magazine and a Trustee for Radio CCFM and was one of the founders of Sports Outreach Africa. He previously served on the national executive of the SA Association of Evangelists and as a Trustee for the Bible Institute of South Africa and on the advisory board for the South African Theological Seminary and on the executive of The Evangelical Alliance Relief Fund (SA). For further information, please contact: nico@bougas.info  

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