Experiencing the Gospel: An Examination of Muslim Conversion to Christianity in Cambodia

ISBN-10
0438926609
ISBN-13
9780438926608
Category
Christian converts from Islam
Pages
231
Language
English
Published
2018
Author
Thomas W. Seckler

Description

In recent years, increasing numbers of people from Muslim backgrounds have become followers of Jesus. Some of these conversions have occurred in Cambodia. Based on a phenomenological approach, forty semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted of Cambodian believers in Christ from a Muslim Background (BMBs). This study analyzed the narratives and reflections of BMBs and focused on (1) examining the role of contextual adjustments made by cross-cultural workers and Cambodian BMBs to make the Christian message more understandable and compelling, (2) identifying core themes or factors that converts report as central in their own conversions, and (3) exploring and analyzing the ways in which the message itself was experienced as personally meaningful and appealing. The research discovered that the Christian message was contextualized in various ways, including the choice of language, the use of experience-near terms and concepts, and communication within the framework of understanding of the listener. Contextualized materials were developed and were used by both cross-cultural workers and BMBs in communicating the Christian message to others. Respondents reported several themes or factors as important to their decision to follow Jesus, with individuals typically revealing more than one theme as significant in their conversion. Four primary themes, repeatedly referred to, were identified: sin and cleansing, heaven and judgment, Jesus (delineated into Jesus is, Jesus did, and Jesus does), and the Bible. Four secondary themes were described: the witness of others, dreams, love, and the sense of God0́9s leading. Many respondents used language which described God and his message as being near and personal. The message itself was experienced as personally relevant and meaningful in three primary ways. First and foremost for the Cambodian respondents, the content of the message was meaningful. Second, God0́9s perceived actions were meaningful, and third, the method of communication was meaningful. This research suggests that the contextualization of the message did impact both its understandability, its relevance, and its desirability. In addition, the content of the religious message itself, including its explanation about self, the world, and implications for belief, was a primary factor impacting the decision to believe in and follow Jesus.

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