07AR12-10

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Apologia Report 12:10

March 15, 2007

Subject: Why do people leave Islam?

In this issue:

HINDUISM - "An Introduction to Hindu-Christian Apologetics"

HOMOSEXUALITY - "Reinventing Christian Marriage," gay educator explains how he does it

ISLAM - "the landscape of conversion out of Islam," an overview

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HINDUISM

Dr. Radhakrishnan and Christianity: An Introduction to Hindu-Christian Apologetics, by Joshua Kalapati [1] -- in his brief review, M. Thomas Thangaraj (director of the Bishop Stephen Neill Study and Research Centre, Palayamkottai, India) explains that Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, "a leading Hindu philosopher of the 20th century and a former President of India, is known for his interpretation of Hinduism to meet the demands of the modern situation, and also for his familiarity with and reinterpretation of Christian faith in light of Hindu philosophical assumptions."

Kalapati's book "presents [Radhakrishnan] as a Hindu apologist who was caught in the ambiguities involved in the very nature of any apologetic enterprise." Kalapati opens by discussing the "events and persons that shaped Radhakrishnan's emergence as a Hindu apologist and reformer." Then, Kalapati "describes Radhakrishnan's exposition of Eastern influences in the history and beliefs of Christianity and finds them not substantiated by biblical and historical evidences. ... This is followed by a discussion of Radhakrishnan's views on the person and mission of Jesus Christ" which Thangaraj considers "the backbone of Kalapati's study."

Kalapati "writes that 'while [Radhakrishnan's christological views] would please any "liberal Christian," the conservatives are bound to be dissatisfied if not disillusioned.' ...

"Kalapati is not only defending Christian faith against a Hindu apologist like Radhakrishnan, he is also defending it against the so-called 'liberal' Christian theologians because, according to him, 'liberal Christian scholars ... have distorted (the person of Christ) in many ways.'" Last, Thangaraj notes that he finds Kalapati's bibliography helpful. Dharma Deepika, 24:10 - 2006, pp78-79.

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HOMOSEXUALITY

"A Queer Fidelity: Reinventing Christian Marriage" by Scott Haldeman -- the abstract explains that "the author questions so-called traditional teachings about marriage and the ways they come to be 'performed' in daily practice in relation to the on-going debates about the status of same-sex relationships in both church and society. Reflecting upon his own life as well as a broad range of historical and analytical sources, he considers what it means to be 'a good husband' today. Failing to meet common criteria associated with this phrase in at least three ways - he is divorced, he lives with another man, and he refuses the equation of fidelity with sexual exclusivity - and convinced that Christian institutions should reflect human realities even as they also contour individual life choices, he endeavors to re-imagine marriage. Returning to the fundamental meaning of fidelity, he proposes a new relational norm - a queer fidelity. This ethic entails vows of radical honesty, deep loyalty, and substantive accountability, which together may sustain a strong but flexible bond characterized by mutual care, hospitality, and embrace of the stranger. He argues, in fact, that such queer fidelity is a more faithful Christian structure for human relationality than exclusivity."

In his conclusion, Haldeman's strategy for re-imagining marriage begins: "if one can allow divorce, one must admit to negotiating biblical norms in the face of human reality and so one must also admit, in the face of sociological data about the variety of forms that families take, that there is room for multiple potentially faithful models." He goes on to re-imagine church "not as a haven for the beleaguered, nuclear family but as an alternative family...." Last, he rethinks fidelity and sees it "not as repression of desire to maintain security - but as constant, honest communication....

"And, so, am I a good husband? You really need to ask my husband, I suppose. But, let me venture that I think I am - but only as I live so as to be worthy of his trust, as I provide care and support, as I communicate as honestly as I can about who I am and who I am becoming, and as I listen deeply to this man that I love - to who he is and who he is becoming, to how who I am becoming affects him - as we take further steps on this adventure called discipleship, trying to model God's profligate love, showing hospitality, joining struggles for justice, embracing the stranger and seeing what may be." Theology & Sexuality, 13:2 - 2007, pp137-152.

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ISLAM

"Conversion Out of Islam: A Study of Conversion Narratives of Former Muslims" by Mohammad Hassan Khalil and Mucahit Bilici -- begins with the complaint that "the literature on the debates surrounding [publicized conversion stories] does not tell us much about the overall landscape of conversion out of Islam. It fails to address such questions as: By what processes and under what conditions do people leave Islam? How do former Muslims or those who speak on their behalf represent their departure?

"In this article, we explore contemporary accounts of conversion out of Islam, tracing the recurrent themes that figure most prominently in former Muslims' narratives. Although we are looking at a worldwide phenomenon, our emphasis here is on Western contexts and testimonies made by English-speaking Muslims."

The authors summarize their findings in four ways. First is a description of motivations observed: "Based on our distinction between intellectual/ideological motivations and social/experiential motivations, the two major motivations identified in our study are ... 1) The status of women in Islam. Gender issues figure prominently in these narratives, with the status of women in Islam being the most popular intellectual motivation, and Muslim ill-treatment of women a popular social motivation." 2) Muslim behavior. "This includes two types of assessments. The first is that, in comparing the behaviors of Muslims and non-Muslims, some converts find the behavior of the latter to be more attractive. The second is that some claim that their conversion owed more to their repulsion by Muslim behavior than to their attraction to positive non-Muslim behavior."

The second category of findings is that of "conversion destinations." "The main destinations are: (a) atheism, (b) agnosticism, and (c) Christianity. It is ultimately difficult, however, to determine which is most popular given the polemical nature of the sources."

The third, "convert backgrounds," reveals that "the overwhelming majority [of converts] are males ... from South Asia." The fourth, "contexts of conversion," finds that "those who convert to Christianity ... tend to adopt the language and framework provided by missionary institutions...."

The authors reflect on the overall study by reporting: "The process of globalization and digitization of the media seems to have created unprecedented spaces for both conversion and the mass communication of narratives of conversion. The Internet has also galvanized a virtual competition between religions like Islam and Christianity...."

Looking ahead, the authors find that "future research is needed to produce information about the actual converts and their unmediated narratives. One intriguing starting point would be the fact that both converts into and out of Islam cite the status of women as a major motivation factor. Research should compare conversion to and from Islam and evaluate the relative power of motivations in each direction." Muslim World, 97:1 - 2007, pp111-123.

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Sources, Monographs:

1 - Dr. Radhakrishnan and Christianity: An Introduction to Hindu-Christian Apologetics, by Joshua Kalapati (ISPCK, 2002, paperback, 187 pages)

<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/8172146906/apologiareport>

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