PREACHING TO A MUSLIM
OR MIXED AUDIENCE

Published in J. Kenny, O.P. (ed.), Preaching in comtemporary Nigeria.
Ibadan: The Michael J. Dempsey Centre for Religious and Social Research, Dominican Institute, 2003, pp. 141-144.


Preaching to Muslims Is that possible? Under what occasions? What form can it take? What can it accomplish?

By preaching, I mean talking about any subject relating to God or man in the light of Christian revelation. That is possible, since witnessing to what we are is as natural and inevitable as breathing. If we are Christians, and our Faith permeates our whole being, we cannot avoid witnessing to it, even though explicitly explaining our Faith may not be the most frequent form of witnessing to it.

Occasions

The occasions I speak of here are those where we can talk explicitly about our Faith:

  1. Catholic ceremonies which Muslims attend The most common occasions of preaching to Muslims are at weddings, funerals and anniversary celebrations which Muslims attend.
  2. Giving a talk, or sharing in a panel discussion at a Muslim gathering During a university jihad week or on radio or television talk shows organized by Muslims, Catholics and representatives of other religious movements are often invited to speak on certain topics.
  3. Catholic seminars or other gatherings to which Muslims are invited These gatherings may be organized by Justice and Peace departments, by parish societies or academic institutions (like the Dominican Institute "Intellectual Evenings").
  4. Impromptu or organized exchanges between Christians and Muslims We can think of Legion of Mary visits as well as chance meetings where Catholic laity are called upon to articulate their Faith to Muslims on a particular question.

The forms of this preaching

Preaching to Muslims should be guided by certain principles that apply to any kind of preaching:

  1. The preacher should realize that he is only an instrument in the hands of God. His words must reflect the teaching of the Church, but it is for the Holy Spirit to determine what effect the preacher's words will have.
  2. The preacher must start from the presupposition of his hearers. To talk about receiving Communion worthily presupposes belief in the divinity of Christ and his institution of this Sacrament. It is not a topic meant for a Muslim audience. A Muslim has certain basic beliefs, which include acceptance of the Qur'ân, but not the Bible. He also has common sense and some social and political awareness. The preacher must begin with this.

As for sources that can be used in preaching to Muslims, we have:

  1. The Qur'ân: The Qur'ân contains much about God and morals that harmonizes with Christian teaching. All of this can be used in to inspire Muslims to greater devotion and trust in God and greater responsibility towards others. But in using the Qur'ân there are two cautions:
    • Verses commonly understood to deny Christian teachings should be avoided (e.g. 112 "God is not born and does not give birth"; 4:157 "They did not kill Jesus or crucify him"). Reinterpretation of these verses in a Christian sense has met no acceptance among Muslims.
    • We can quote verses encouraging religious tolerance and patience (e.g. 2:256 "There is no compulsion in religion"), and most Muslim listeners will agree with them, but we should be aware that most classical commentators say that such verses, up to 114 of them, are abrogated by the "verse of the sword" (9:5; like 2:116). Some Muslims still hold that this command to fight abrogates the former commands to be patient and tolerant of non-Muslims.

  2. The Bible: Although Muslims do not accept our Bible as such, they recognize that it has conserved something of the original "Torah, Psalms and Gospel" which the Qur'ân asserts were delivered to Moses, David and Jesus respectively. Passages which are not contrary to Qur'ânic teaching they are prepared to listen to and respect. Let us remember that Muslims are not very different from the Jews to whom Jesus preached in parables, as he always avoided publicity about his identity as the Messiah and Son of God. Similarly a preacher to Muslims can use Bible parables or other stories of life that touch both the mind and the heart.

  3. Philosophy/science St. Thomas Aquinas emphasized reason (as opposed to revelation) as the forum for Christian-Muslim exchange. This is still a potentially fertile forum, but there are some obstacles.
    • First, few Muslims or Christians are well trained in philosophy, particularly in the basic questions Thomas discussed at length in the Summa Contra Gentiles.
    • Secondly, Muslims influenced by Hanbalite thought view philosophy as useless, if not contrary to Islam.

    Where philosophical arguments can be understood, they can well be incorporated in preaching. We should realize, however, that reason and philosophy are extensive. Discussion about health, birth control, euthanasia, the raising of children, environment and development all require going into the medical and physical sciences, as well as psychology and sociology. A preacher who is competent in handling these subjects will be respected by a Muslim audience.

What can be expected from such preaching?

Preaching to Muslims as they are, building on their own positive presuppositions by the use of Qur'ânic paranaeic, Gospel-style parables, and pure reason, can have the following benefits:

  1. It can impel the hearers to love and respect God more and to live a better moral life, one of self-control and care for others.
  2. It can enlighten them with regard to controverted issues affecting the moral and religious well-being of society, such as questions of medical ethics.
  3. It can challenge them where they fall short in their personal lives or social responsibilities.
  4. It can help them to balance their Islamic culture with traditional culture on the one hand and global culture on the other. This will not be possible with those Muslims who think that Islamic culture has no place for any other, but more and more Muslims are seeking a way of incorporating values of traditional and global culture without detriment to Islam.
  5. It can provoke their minds to a deeper wonder and reflection about the mystery of God's being and his plan of salvation. This can result in a greater respect for the Christian Faith. In some instances this can lead to conversion, but that is a remote consequence of the preaching, and the special work of the Holy Spirit.