It’s so easy to assume that everyone thinks like you. Dr. Jerry Rankin shows how different a person’s worldview can be and what that means when you try to share Christ with them.

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Here starts the auto-generated transcription of Understanding Muslim Worldview:

 

 

Understand, okay, you you can win an argument. You can try to convince them of that, but but it’s problematic in that you’re trying to get them to change their whole life’s orientation. You’re knocking the legs out from their understanding of reality. And you can convince them and win the argument, but but you’re not gonna win the war. Once again, Muslim terrorists A terrorist.

 

Extremist. Extremist. These America. These Muslim extremists are, are alive and well. They are not dead, and their video is not gratuitous, and it certainly is not irrelevant.

 

It is a warning. Welcome to the truth about Muslims podcast. The official podcast of the swimmer center for Muslim studies, where we help to educate you beyond the media. Here are your hosts, Howard and Trevor. Okay.

 

We are with doctor Jerry Rankin in the studio today, and we are going to be discussing worldview, particularly the conflicting worldviews between Christians and Muslims and how this is often perceived as a barrier to sharing your faith with a Muslim. So it’s really good to have doctor Rankin back with us again. He has had 40 years working in the International Mission Board, 17 of those years as president, and 23 of those years is working with Muslims in Southeast Asia. So we always appreciate the the wealth of knowledge that he brings to the table. So, Jerry, thanks so much for joining us again to discuss worldviews.

 

Well, it’s good to be with you, and, I think this is a very important topic in understanding of communicating the gospel cross culturally. Christians, especially in America, have not had much experience with that. We all witness from a theistic worldview and just make the assumption, you know, everybody believes in God. You know, they understand man is a sinner, and, you know, it’s easy to explain to them why Jesus is the only way because he died for our sins and believing on him. But, when you witness to people of other religions and other cultures, we don’t really understand world views, that they’re viewing reality from a different perspective.

 

Yeah. Could you kinda go into that a little bit more? What is what exactly is a worldview? Because I don’t hear that term, you know, tossed around even even in social media. I mean Right.

 

I think missions, missionaries missions, people, mission schools, and seminaries, we talk about worldview nonstop. Though and what is the German term, the Weltchenchung, the worldview. But what exactly is a worldview? Well, first, it needs to be said, it’s not one’s knowledge of global geography. Well well done.

 

Well done. You just throughout that world. I said, oh, yeah. I’ve traveled a lot. You know, I know where countries where countries are on the map.

 

No. It’s not how you view the world, geographically such as that, but it’s how particular cultures seek to make sense of life. It impacts their values, their relationships, their behavior, their morality, the supernatural. Now, we see cultures, differences in cultures, how people dress, the different food they eat, you know, their social order, their customs. That’s evident.

 

That’s the their their culture. Worldview is more subtle. It’s the unseen that affects, okay, what do they really know and think about God? And what is man in relation to God? What is their sense of the afterlife and the spirit world?

 

That’s that’s a worldview because all of that works together in a dynamic that makes sense to their life and their community. So in in some sense, we could say worldview helps us to make sense of the world in which we live. It’s how we view the world, almost like a pair of glasses that we would put on, spectacles. We view the world through these lenses that we have. Exactly.

 

And people grow up knowing this is how the world works. And it’s unthinkable that anyone would think of these things from a different way. And so that’s why they have trouble bridging a barrier. When we’re talking about God, when we’re talking about eternal life, when we’re talking about sin, it has altogether different meanings from someone from another society. For example, Eastern mysticism, there’s no concept of God.

 

You know, there’s no responsibility for sin. So so you’re saying there’s different worldviews even within our culture in America, because you’re you’re talking about sin and and and and, you know, God and all these kind of things, and there’s a lot of people in the states that don’t, believe that. But we do kind of have somewhat of a similar worldview. So there’s, there’s all these other elements, is that what you’re saying, to worldview, like their faith, their upbringing, yeah, the region of the of the United States that they live in, that kind of thing? Well, it is, and it’s, played out in in very practical ways.

 

I remember hearing a story of a American friend asking his Chinese had gone to a funeral of a relative. And he asked him, when is your deceased relative going to eat that food you’ve just placed on his grave? And the Chinese friend replied, well, when your deceased relative smells the flowers that you placed on his grave. So, you know, Why why do we do these things? You know, what what do we really believe, you know, about afterlife?

 

There was a time when everyone thought the world was flat. That was a worldview. And to believe differently was heretical. People got killed because there’s some burning at the stake for that kind of, dissension. So how how much of our view affects our lifestyle.

 

Stuff. Okay. So let’s think about for ourselves. It’ll help us kinda see our own worldview. How much of what we do in our Christian faith is a result of worldview that might not necessarily be scriptural?

 

Do you know what I mean? Like, are there things that we do and practice in our faith that maybe they’re not necessarily biblical. Maybe they’re not anti biblical, but we do them because it’s more cultural and part of the way in which we view the world. Christmas trees. Yeah.

 

Nice. Howard is against Christmas trees. If you people can believe that Howard is against Christmas trees, it’s true. I’m not. I’m not.

 

Well, in in more subtle ways, you know, Western culture is very individualistic. We make our own decisions. You know, we have the freedom to do that, choose our own lifestyle and so forth. That is unthinkable in most other cultures who are communal cultures. You don’t make an individual decision apart from approval of the clan or the elders or unless they make that decision as well.

 

And and that’s just a, you know, simple way that our Christian witness is affected. We we try to confront individuals, get them to repent, believe, and accept Christ and believe. And they hadn’t passed this through, you know, their their elders, the areas of accountability and responsibility. That’s why many missionaries are discovering, you know, group conversion and small group evangelism so that they come to Christ as community, you know, rather than extracting individuals is the way to impact lostness in other cultures. And so would you even say that that would, basically, influence the way we even read our Bibles as individuals?

 

It it does. We’re we’re reading our Bibles from a a certain worldview and perspective of our understanding of God that is very thoroughly ingrained, you know, in American culture and history, and how we relate to them. Others read the same Bible, and they’re filtering a different thing. For example, when I lived in Thailand, I remember a missionary giving me an orientation and said, okay. You use John 316.

 

For God so loved the world. Okay. First of all, Buddhists don’t believe in God, so you’ve missed them already. They have no concept of what you’re talking about. So loved, they have no concept, self self serving erotic love.

 

Well, that’s not what you mean. And the world is the cosmos that you’re trying to get delivered from through enlightenment and a kim nirvana. Why would anyone love the world? You know, that is the opposite of the materialistic things you want delivered from that. So so you just the whole world view, you missed him with our terminology, all the way down the line.

 

Just thinking in terms of of individualistic, societies. I mean, I remember even here in the United States, I worked with a, Korean church for 5 years and did interviews with a lot of the students and came to determine that even the idea of ethics, why do I make the decisions that I make? Well, it isn’t necessarily because of any particular punishment. It’s really because I don’t wanna bring a great deal of shame upon my parents having failed in something. And so their ethic was communal.

 

It was a communal ethic, not an individualistic one, not based on a coercive violence or a fear that they might go to jail, but really I don’t wanna, you know, make my parents look bad. And that was really interesting even though some of them had been raised in the United States. They still had that world view of how, ethics happened, which is interesting. That kinda blends over to other cultures, especially, Muslim cultures. I think we can make that explain.

 

It’s it’s we’re we’re we’re ingrained to what’s right and wrong. You know, you do what’s right, whatever the consequences. If people are hurt, if they’re offended, you know, you you speak truth. You do what is right. In other cultures, it’s a shame honor worldview.

 

You don’t do anything to embarrass or shame your family, or your culture, or your religion. You live for their honor. And so you have to understand that is why they would kill their own children if they convert to Christianity or if a daughter is is found in in adultery, that they would actually kill it. They have brought such shame on their their family. So the show wouldn’t be possible without sponsors.

 

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Talks about Muslims and and tells them on the computer that we love you. Very nice. The Zwemer Center equips the church to reach Muslims. The Swimmer Center has been educating people about reaching Muslims before it was cool. And, it’s why saving face this is exasperating from Americans.

 

When I have my car repaired, you know, well, I need it this afternoon. Okay. It’ll be ready this afternoon. The mechanic knows it’s not gonna be ready that afternoon, but he didn’t want me to lose face. You know, he doesn’t want to lose face right now, so he tells me something he knows is not true.

 

And, you you just have a whole different perspective of life. Yeah. It is interesting. You know, of course, I’m Korean. Growing up Korean, it was very, very difficult for me to, you know, grow up in a western mentality, but live in an eastern kind of culture, and vice versa in in many ways just going to school.

 

But, it’s kinda funny now that I’m older. It kinda just tickles me a little bit because my senior pastor at our Korean church, whatever he says, we have to do. And I’m American, so I just basically said, no. No. I can’t do that.

 

And so he’ll say, we’ll pray about it. And that’s his way of saving face. He helps me to save face. He saves face, and we both know I’m not gonna do it, but he just says pray about it. And so it is interesting.

 

I think for Westerners, myself included, it’s really hard to kinda get into the mind, of these Muslims, especially with the worldview. Could you share a little bit, any other distinctions that you found, between Muslims? One that is very prominent is, the the sacred and the secular. And in our Western worldview, and I’d say this has permeated our Christian worldview as well, though it shouldn’t, we clearly delineate to what is sacred and relates to God and our worship and the rest of life and and what is what is what is secular in the world out there, and our job and our family and schooling and and everything else we do and relationship with neighbors. You mean like being a Sunday Christian?

 

Oh, you said it. That’s what I was thinking of. I mean, Sunday Christian and that sort of it. Well, and and we just think in our our behavior and what we do in right and wrong is, you know, we we conform to society rather than driven by, you know, a relationship with God and what he’s leading us to do and what honors and glorifies him. We kind of set that aside.

 

And this is our prayer life. This is our morning devotional life. This is going to church. But in the Muslim world and most other cultures, religion and rest of life is so entwined, you can’t really separate it from culture. It affects everything they they do.

 

Consider following Christ, actually changing their religion, you’re impacting every aspect of life, and it gets very complex and complicated and difficult for them to understand and comprehend that. I don’t know about you, listeners, but, my mind is being blown right now. So the idea that, worldview, this undercurrent, just kind of actually shapes even the way we process, scripture, process truth, process experiences. And, you know, I know as a as a Christian, you know, we feel a lot of guilt. You know?

 

And for doctor Rankin to, you know, basically say that that’s a lot of an, an individualistic construct, you know, as opposed to as opposed to what a lot of other cultures feel, like, you know, being shame based and not feeling guilty. It it it’s a whole different feel of, of what it means to do wrong and right and our motivations for it. So with Muslims, you’re saying, that it might not necessarily be, having to do with, guilt motivating them or wanting to do what what is right or what is wrong from a individual sense. But as a communal sense. This is who we are.

 

This is our people. We’re not separating into compartments. We are Muslim. Well and we normally that plays out in our Christian witness presenting the plan of salvation. Mhmm.

 

You know, it this is all sacred. This is all religious, you know. And and it doesn’t Right. Impact life altogether and take that in consideration. And Christian witnessing to Muslims, you know, trying to transcend those world views is like trying to merge Duck Dynasty and Downton Abbey.

 

I mean, can you can you imagine taking those two reality shows and the sitcoms, the scripts, the language, the values, and Duck Dynasty and Downton Abbey being merged into one program. There’s such a conflict of cultures there. I’d I’d watch that. Wait. No.

 

No. Which which one are which one’s Christian? Which one’s Muslim? Yeah. Well, the point is they’re just radically different.

 

And but that’s a good way for us to perceive of, trying to cross world views. And so you’re saying that we kinda prevent ourselves from even sharing the gospel because we separate in our own worldview, religion, and everyday life, secular. Well, we may be a diligent witness and know how to communicate the gospel in the context of our worldview. And what I’m saying is that doesn’t work when you’re trying to communicate that to someone with a different worldview. Right.

 

Okay. I get what you’re saying. I mean, like like prayer. I mean, to the Muslim, prayer is not communion with a personal God who hears and answers those prayers. He’s just quoting, you know, ritualistic, you know, slogans and statements and texts that, you know, that’s just repetitive.

 

But there’s no concept of a personal, loving God that’s hearing and responding to your prayers. So Yeah. The worldview is is altogether different. It it’s all these concepts that are kind of we use in everyday language, but it means something totally different to them. Well, I think about even as Americans, we have a little bit of a view that says you pray alone in your room.

 

Or if you fast, you do it alone and you don’t tell anyone. Or if you’re practicing some other spiritual discipline, you do it alone and you say nothing. And so, I’ve met some Muslims that are like, oh, I I just didn’t know Christians prayed because they don’t pray publicly whereas a Muslim a lot of the Muslims I’ve known, it’s very much a they’ll make it a point to let you know it’s time for prayer because it’s something that you show. It’s an act of being pious and faithful in your religion. And so, whereas, we’re trying not to offend somebody by praying publicly, a Muslim’s thinking, well, they must not believe in God because they don’t ever pray.

 

I’ve never seen them pray once. And so, it’s a very different way of looking at the world. We come from a society that says you keep your prayer life in your house, you know, your religion and your politics. You don’t bring them out publicly. And you go over to a Muslim world, and it’s like, well, your religion and your politics, that’s the first things that we’re gonna talk about.

 

And so, it’s different world views. Well, the, you you know, there’s a lot in common because Christians and Muslims both have a theistic worldview. And there’s really a lot of common in believing in 1 God, you know, Sovereign, Almighty, Creator, God. And I would use that commonality often in in witness, you know, you’re you’re Muslim. I’m a Christian, you know, but we have a lot in common.

 

You know, we below both believe God and worship him and, you know, want to please him and want to serve him. But, you know, we have this this, often then I always ask, but but do you know him? You know, and that would just be a ridiculous question. Well, of course not. You know?

 

He’s so transcendent, so high. You know, you can’t know God. He’s not a personal God. And I would just simply say, can I tell you how I came to know God and relate my testimony experience, which was just a strange phenomenal type thing for them to even hear and consider? But I wasn’t imposing that on him, that you need to worship my God and know him and understand him.

 

I was sharing how I came to know god. And that would usually open the door to begin to discuss our contrast in world views, concept of God and sin and afterlife, and, some very productive conversations that would really, open people’s hearts. Alright. This week’s sponsors. CIU.

 

CIU. CIU educates people from a Biblical. Biblical world review. World view. Real world review.

 

Yeah. Kids CIU educates people from a biblical worldview to impact the nations with the message of Christ. So when we think about trying to communicate sin with a Muslim, I mean, just in my own thought, I’m thinking, there’s a hadith in in Islam that basically it says something along the lines of if Allah has shielded something that you’ve done wrong in the night, don’t let it be revealed in the day. And so, for a Western missionary to come over and say, so do you have sin in your life? I mean, it’s a it’s a foolish question.

 

I mean, they’re not gonna admit it. Whereas, we have this worldview that says, you know, if you’ve, you know, sinned, that you should confess your sin and let things in darkness come to light. And they’re having a worldview that says, hey, if God’s allowed something to be covered in the darkness of night, don’t bring it to Revelation in the day. And then we ask the question, do you have sin in your life? And we can’t figure out why.

 

Like, why doesn’t this Muslim admit that he has sin in his life? And we’re speaking 2 very different languages. First of all, about the nature of sin, and second secondly, whether or not we should tell people about our sin. Well, that that’s a good illustration of the conflicting worldview. We know that they’re sinners.

 

They know what sin is, but there’s no responsibility for sin. And for the Christian, we’re gonna be judged on the basis of our sin. That’s what separates us from God. We’ve got to find some way, you know, that can cancel out those sins that we can stand before a just God. It has nothing to do with the Muslim hope of afterlife and paradise.

 

I mean, it’s just dependent on an arbitrary punitive god, Insha’Allah, you know, if God wills. And so there’s no responsibility to do anything about your sin. And so often our discussion, just like strangers passing in the night, we’re discussing 2 different concepts. And so, for our listeners out there who like, we’ve been encouraging every week, for the most part to witness to Muslims or to share with Muslims, how would you give them advice to, overcome these worldview differences? Well, understand, in in discussing worldviews, for example, you want them to believe in God.

 

You want to accept them accept Jesus Christ as exclusive, savior, from their sins. Understand, okay, you you can win an argument. You can try to convince them of that. But but it’s problematic in that you’re trying to get them to change their whole life’s orientation. You’re knocking the legs out from their understanding of reality.

 

And you can convince them and win the argument, but but you’re not gonna win the war, you know, and really, get them. So you need to understand the the similarity, what is meant by these words. And I think one of the greatest approach approaches to ask your question is ask them to explain their worldview. You know, just ask questions. What do you believe about God?

 

You know, well, what do you believe? We’re all sinners. You know, God is a holy and righteous God. How does this affect our relationship with God and hope of, what happens to us after we die? What’s your concept of paradise and and how you get there?

 

And let them explain that. And often you’ll find they have some real difficulties making sense of what what they believe. And through that kind of dialogue that’s in a context of respect and understanding and sincerity in wanting to know opens the door for you explaining your worldview, not just the plan of salvation, but what’s behind your beliefs about God? Yeah. And something you just said, I never really even thought about.

 

But, because Muslims and and a lot of these other cultures do not separate, they don’t compartmentalize their secular and sacred lives. And, so when you do, basically ask them to to follow Jesus if they wanna follow Jesus, when they do, they are actually switching entire world worldviews, the way they perceive, the way they are, perceived in community, how they relate to others. And that is a that is a I think that’s a miracle, actually. Well, to just show how it affects their their lifestyle and their whole orientation and worldview, I found it’s it’s not often religious differences and arguments. You know, we want to isolate it.

 

It’s back to our sacred and secular. You can pigeonhole a religious arc, but it it affects life. I remember talking with a Muslim that just seemed to have a heart that was open, I mean, such a readiness to become a follower of Christ. And the barrier he asked me, if I do this and become a Christian, who will my daughter marry? I mean, it never occurred to me that that would be problematic.

 

Well, I mean, what’s the issue here? They will hawk their life savings and go into debt in order to pay a dowry and marry their daughter well. If they don’t, shame will go with them the rest of their life and all of their family. In following generations, I would I mean, that’s the thing. We can only think in terms of my life, maybe my kids’ lives if I’m really wide, you know, down the road my grandkids’ lives, but they’re thinking in terms of generations that they won’t even get to meet.

 

So we we aren’t talking on that level. I mean, we’re just talking about some spiritual concepts of faith and following Christ and don’t understand the context a worldview. Another one I often countered was if if I do this and and become a Christian, follow Christ, and you could see that the understanding was there, you know, the readiness Right. The truth of this. But but the barrier there, where will I be buried?

 

Yeah. Then again, not in the Muslim cemetery. I mean, what a dilemma to put your family in, nowhere to dispose of this deceased body because he had become a Christian, and, you know, it’d be blasphemous to be married in our our cemetery. And and I think for us as Westerners, we just think, oh, you know, like, we always go against our parents or, you know, we don’t have a problem doing that. That’s there’s such a precedent for that in our culture.

 

But for these countries, right, for these Muslims, that would be, you know, turning their entire world upside down. And, and probably the most prominent, one that’s reflected here is, Muslims as as well as others. You know, once they consider, okay, the only way of salvation is through Jesus Christ. Now, if I do this and affirm that’s what I believe, what am I reflecting about my grandparents, my ancestors, others who are dying without Christ? I’m affirming that they’re in hell.

 

And it’s easier not to accept the truth of Christ than have to live with that reality of the mistake of the lostness of those who don’t know Christ in their family, the ones they love. And this might be a little bit Western in thinking, but maybe they even they’re even affirming that everyone else is wrong. Everyone in the community, their their their their ancestors. I mean, that’s it’s pretty tragic. I think it’s a huge decision.

 

And in a communal culture, realize how difficult that is. Well, not not just that, but if if they’re thinking in terms of there’s no separation between the secular and the sacred, in following Christ, it means I agree with everything that the US does in foreign policy because it’s a Christian nation. Mhmm. I agree with everything that happens, and I’m always for Israel and on Israel’s side because it came from a Christian nation. That’s the way they’re viewing it, that this is a Christian sort of us against them mentality.

 

And so, for them, the shifting to following Jesus really gets muddied with a whole lot more than it probably should because they can’t even separate themselves. And some Christians, of course, don’t want to separate that either. But, for them, it’s like, I don’t want to be culturally like you. And I think that the gospel probably has room for them to be able to retain a lot more identity than sometimes we think. It’s almost like you’re undoing this worldview and it’s such a complex thing, but we have to trust that the Holy Spirit’s in the process.

 

Right? I think that’s the assurance that we have. Yeah. Exactly. Exactly.

 

So, you know, the real challenge is, you know, we just see it as, building a faith bridge. How can you convince them of the truth of Christianity, you know, the gospel of Christ, you know, that Christ died for your sins and, you know, how it’s essential to believe on him. You know, that’s that’s a very narrow niche that you’ve you’ve got to build a worldview bridge before you can build that faith bridge. You’ve got to talk about the gospel in a way that makes sense in the context of their worldview. Something that popped into my head as you were talking, but they all, you know, they also have to see it in their, in your daily life.

 

They don’t they can’t see it separated the way a lot of Westerners try to. And And that’s something that Trevor’s always mentioned, you know, like, you know, when they see you acting out like a Christian when they don’t have to, it it’s pretty astounding. And so, yeah, that’s that’s pretty amazing. Well, I’ve seen this, of course, in in the love and compassion that’s shown for Christians. In fact, there was a massive response to you remember the tsunami in Asia when 100 of 1000 were killed, villages devastated.

 

It was Christian humanitarian agencies and churches that that swept into there with aid and rebuilding and ministering to the people. And the question began to ask, where are all our Muslim brothers, you know, from the Middle East and, you know, the leaders and so forth? Why aren’t they here pouring aid? And and there was some. You know?

 

But it wasn’t with the love and compassion of boots on the ground and people showing compassion there. Alright. So this show wouldn’t be possible without sponsors. And at this point in the show is where if you wanna partner with us, we would put your ad. So if you wanna be a part of the show, you wanna partner with us, you like what we’re doing, you wanna be on our team, what have you, bringing this show to the world, then email us and let us know.

 

And you see in their world view, an attitude of vengeance. You know, when you’ve been harmed, somebody’s killed, you have the, you you know, their their worldview authorizes revenge, and he just create this killing cycle. Why is there such lack of appreciation for the sanctity of life that they would so readily, you know, just just kill, and suicide bombers, and committed to destruction, and so forth, thinking that would gain merit. How radical that worldview is compared to a Christian’s compassion who wants to save people or administer to them medically in times of suffering and so forth. So that witness helps to bridge world views more than any of our words or our rational arguments would do.

 

And I and I think that even we as Americans need more of that because if you think in terms of a lot of people want to, forget the passages where we’re called to love our enemy. And I’ve, you know, I’ve constantly said, I’ve never said that these radical Muslims aren’t Muslim. There are definitely some radical Muslims out there. That’s not really the point for me. The point is even the radicals need to hear about Jesus.

 

We often forget that the gospel is supposed to transcend our own culture and worldview, and we’re supposed to follow Christ first and not allow that to be watered down by, you know, even our secular worldview, our postmodern worldview, our modern worldview. I think about even apologetics. Right? I I watch people try apologetics with Muslims and they’re approaching it from a very modern worldview argument. You know, I make my my point and I can test it and I can prove it.

 

And a Muslim’s looking at you thinking, sorry, buddy. I’ve got a theistic worldview. All you really needed to say was God preserves His word and that would have been enough. You know, instead, we wanna we wanna explain how this can be proved from textual criticism. And they’re thinking, why are you even testing your Bible?

 

What’s wrong with you people? So, anyway, it’s a really interesting conversation worldview. And I think, one of the ways that I’ve seen it described, for those of you that haven’t really thought about it much, is the tip of an iceberg. You see the tip of the iceberg and that’s kinda the visual aspects of things that represent worldview. But underneath the the water is the worldview.

 

That’s what’s The tip of the iceberg is culture and some of the things that you can actually see. But underneath that gigantic iceberg that might be 10 times the size of what you can see is the world view. It’s submerged beneath the surface. Sometimes we aren’t even aware of it. And, we do.

 

We have to build bridges. Well, especially with Islam, we need to realize we’re communicating from a religious niche in isolation of the rest of life so much. Now we’re talking about afterlife and Christian character and you know, sin and so forth. But they’re seeing this as all of life. It’s not just an isolated niche of what you believe about God and what you what you do about sin.

 

And so if we could kind of sum up, well, how do you approach it? There’s a lot that can be read and understood. And But seek to understand what they believe, to ask questions, but seek to understand what they believe, to ask questions very respectfully, showing an interest. And that invariably leads to an opportunity for you to express your worldview, what you understand about God, and our our need for salvation, not in a confrontational way of preventing and trying to persuade them, but just testifying to your experience. Okay.

 

If they’re hearing this, they’re evaluating that and your worldview in a very significant way because it’s such a contrast to what they believe. And then, to present in a way that makes sense in their worldview, You know, trying to explain salvation, from their perspective of sin and the afterlife, the nature of God, in a way that they understand not arguing about right or wrong, your which is right, which is wrong, but just, in that context. And it’s when you communicate in that worldview that then you can begin to lead them to a faith bridge that applying it to them. But all of that is predicated on building a relationship bridge, of developing a relationship of trust where you can have these kinds of conversations. Doctor Rankin, as we wrap this up, what, are there any resources, any books that you’d recommend our listeners to read if they’re interested in this topic?

 

I’ve got one offhand, Roland Mueller’s book, The Message, The Messenger in the Community is what it’s called. He he’s the one who wrote Honor and Shame, and I’ve actually, written him and asked if we could get him on the podcast, but he has an excellent book about, honor shame paradigms and culture and how to present the gospel in the context of an honor shame community. And it’s done differently. Howard, you would really appreciate it, you know, coming and being raised in an honor shame society and our honor shame So that that’s a really good one. Doctor Anck, do you have any that you particularly like?

 

There’s a little book that that I’ve used and shared with my students, simply called Bridges. It’s published, self published, and it’s online by TSP Press, that describes how to build these kinds of worldview bridges to Islam and other religions as well. And then the other one is, Nabil Jabbour’s book. That’s all about Muslim worldview. I think it was across through the eyes of the crescent and that gives a good explanation of Muslim worldviews.

 

And so, and even within Islam, there’s a variety of worldviews. There’s definitely some things that go across the board, but there’s some variety as well. But think of that in terms of, you know, Hindu worldviews and animistic worldviews, there’s so many different ways in which people view the world. If you come from an animistic background and you think everything that happens in the world is spiritual, well then, it’ll be really complex for us who come from a modern worldview where, you know, if somebody’s sick, it doesn’t have to be because the demons put a curse on them. It’s because, you know, they have not taken washed their hands and they picked up something and put it in their mouth and now they’ve got a bacterial infection or something like that.

 

So very different ways of of viewing the world. Well, that’s it for this week’s show. Thank you, doctor Rankin for coming in and, enlightening us. This has been a really good actually a good podcast. But, again, listeners, please, please, please, iTunes reviews, tell us what you think.

 

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