Missiology
Southwestern Journal of Theology
Volume 49, No. 2 – Spring 2007
Managing Editor: Malcolm B. Yarnell III
By Sam Schlorff. Upper Darby, PA: Middle East Resources, 2006. 202 pages. Softcover, $19.95.
Sam Schlorff is retired from over thirty-five years of service as a missionary and missiologist in residence with Arab World Ministries (formerly North Africa Mission). His career includes assignments in Tunisia, France, and the United States. He graduated from Wheaton College, Fuller Theological Seminary, and Westminster Theological Seminary. Importantly, at Westminster he studied under the tutelage of Harvie Conn and Cornelius Van Til. Missiological Models in Ministry to Muslims is Schlorff ’s life work.
In Part 1, Schlorff makes an important contribution by classifying historic Muslim mission into six models. Beginning with George Sale, Henry Martyn, and other polemicists, he provides a summary for each model, largely from original sources, on the basis of the following eight observations: object of mission, theology of non-Christian religion, contextual approach, hermeneutic, church strategy, strengths, weaknesses, and the model today.
Another contribution is his recognition of the importance of hermeneutics for evangelical mission. He classifies methods of quoting the Qur’an as either positive or negative. The classification is helpful in dis- playing the missiological implications of the theological shift in the last century. A transition in missiology began with William H.T. Gairdner and Samuel Zwemer in their attitude toward Islam. Later, Geoffrey Parrinder and Kenneth Cragg formally introduced the new hermeneutic into evangelical circles. Cragg is not merely using the Qur’an as a proof text for the Bible. The open objective is to propose a new understanding of the Qur’an itself, an understanding that Muslims would find acceptable.
Part two appropriately finishes with a section on ecclesiology. It is helpful to field workers to recognize the three assumptions behind the prominent dynamic equivalence model: missionary extractionism, neutrality of culture, and Muslim forms with Christian meanings. Along the same lines, he calls attention to two categories important for evangelical missiology. First, one must be intentional with theological starting points. For evangelicals, beginning theology from anywhere but the Scripture should be unacceptable. Second, one must carefully choose a cross-cultural hermeneutical model. All should take to heart his exhortation for an analytical, rather than synthetic, hermeneutic for Islamic cultural and religious forms.
The most promising part of Missiological Models in Ministry to Muslims is Schlorff ’s proposal of a new model. He introduced the betrothal model in the July 2000 issue of Missiology. It is based upon II Corinthians 11:2–3, and asserts that church planters are guardians for new churches. He summarizes it according to the same eight principles as earlier mod- els, showing how his model could safeguard evangelicals from previous theological mistakes. For many field workers, long bewildered by a model not taken explicitly from Scripture, Schlorff performs an immeasurable service.
One weakness in the book is that he is the first to propose this model. First, for such a bold innovation in mission, the book is much too short. Two hundred pages simply cannot adequately express the import of Schlorff ’s proposals. However, the brevity does make the book readable for a wider audience.
The greatest weakness in the book is that it does not always incorporate positive innovations or address chief concerns from earlier models, especially the dynamic equivalence model. For example, in Dean Gilliland’s response to Schlorff ’s initial article, which appears in the same issue, the new model is criticized for never mentioning the Holy Spirit. Perhaps more than previous models, the betrothal model rests directly on Scripture. In the Corinthian epistles, as well as the other writings of Paul, the Holy Spirit is prominent in the birth, life, and ministry of the new church. Yet, Schlorff does not explain the Holy Spirit’s place. Further, his criticism of the dynamic equivalence model being anthropologically driven rather than scripturally so should be heard, but he does little to explain the place of culture in the new model. Such questions will arise, given the prominence of anthropology in mission today.
Finally, Schlorff sets forth a somewhat out of date and hard to apply model for evangelistic encounter with Muslims. He promotes a method of inter-religious dialogue called “Church Without Walls,” but admits the method is not well suited for use outside of the West. Truthfully, evangelicals have much work ahead on how to proclaim Christ to Muslims. The betrothal model is promising for progress in the task.
Missiological Models for Ministry to Muslims is a book written three decades too late. It is the only book that evaluates mission in such way as to make the historical and theological framework of each model easily identified. Hopefully, evangelicals will incorporate Schlorff ’s research, and the betrothal model, into their ministry not only in the Muslim world, but also to the people of other religions.
