This article is from the EMU News Archive. The approximate date of publication was in May 2003. Current EMU news is available at www.emu.edu/news

TO EMU HEADLINE NEWS | EASTERN MENNONITE SEMINARY |

The Church Meets the Muslim Community

A major consultation, "The Church Meets the Muslim Community," will be held Oct. 23-26, 2003 at Eastern Mennonite Seminary.

"This forum will explore, from an Anabaptist-Mennonite perspective, the calling and challenges of the church meeting the 'ummah' (Arabic for community) in trust-building relations between Christians and Muslims around the world, particularly in the wake of September 11 and the recent war in Iraq," said Linford L. Stutzman, associate professor of culture and mission at EMU and program coordinator.

"Are the 1.2 billion Muslims and the 2.1 billion Christians, one half of the world’s population, facing the 'clash of civilizations' that writer Samuel Huntington described?" Dr. Stutzman asked. "This consultation will explore choices that Christians have within the current complex and perplexing developments in our world, marked by conflicting political, economic and social agendas of Western and Muslim nations," he added.

Keynote addresses will be given by Dudley Woodberry, professor of Islamic studies at Fuller Theological Seminary, Lamin Sanneh, professor of world missions and world Christianity at Yale Divinity School as well as Mennonites John A. Lapp, Chantal Logan and David A. Shenk.

Anabaptist individuals and organizations will present gleanings from firsthand experience, and seminars dealing with a range of issues such as pacifism, dialogue and apologetics will be offered.

This event is being co-sponsored by Eastern Mennonite Missions, Mennonite Mission Network and Eastern Mennonite Seminary.

Posted: May 26, 2003