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Christian vs. Muslim ... a chance to learn
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| April 1, 2011 |
The Bonners Ferry Peace Group welcomes Pastor
Steven Benson, Christ Lutheran Church, Libby,
Montana, to Bonners Ferry at 7 p.m. Friday,
April 15, for a presentation on "A Window into
the World of Islam."
Appropriately, it's taking place upstairs at
Visitor's Center.
Pastor Benson has practical experience that he
will share in Muslim-Christian relations, having
minstered in Africa, Asia and North America. In
addition to his Master of Divinity in Christian
ministry, he has also earnd a Master of Arts
degree in Islamic studies and Christian-Muslim
Relations from the Duncan Black McDonald
Institute of Islamic Studies in Hartford,
Connecticut.
He served two years in Cairo, Egypt, before
serving four more years on the teaching staff at
the Henry Martyn Institute of Islamic Studies in
Hyberabad, India, where he taught Islamic
history and theology, methodology for the
comparative study of religions, and beginning
Arabic.
He's published several scholarly articles about
Islam and inter-faith relations in a number of
academic journals.
With the United States prosecuting three wars in
predominantly Muslim nations, the news and
entertainment media are flooded with images of
Muslim people that often seem strange and
frightening. Political agendas are often colored
by religious language, and it's difficult to
distinguish between rumor and reality.
Pastor Benson, drawing on his years of study
and, more importantly, his years of personal
encounter with people of the Muslim faith on
three continents, offers a clear and unique
insight to create a bridge of understanding and
a sense of commonality between the Christian,
Jewish and Muslim worlds.
Using elements of Muslim scripture and
tradition, Pastor Benson will bring an
understanding of the world as seen through the
eyes of a Muslim. He will delve into the history
of religion on society, shaping how people live
together in society. He'll show the common
battle between good and evil professed by all
religions, but as framed in the Islamic world,
helping people of all faiths understand the
seemingly insuperable
dichotomy that exists between seemingly
disparate faiths.
In discovering the roots of Muslim social
concerns, Pastor Benson will explore the
fundamental nature of the struggle between good
and evil as seen through Islamic eyes, and help
bring an understanding and constructive
interaction between their faith and politics and
ours, and help show that the differences we
might see as insuperable
are in truth a mere arm's reach apart. In the
reaching out to one another other might come
understanding.
Pastor Benson's presentation is expected to last
about an hour, but the question and answer
period following my go on for a good while.
Admission is free and everyone is invited.
To find out more about this event or the Bonners
Ferry Peace Group, call Jerry Pavia at (208)
267-7374. |
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