Fruitful minorities

Their minority status does not deter Christians in Islamic contexts from following their vocation. They impact their societies in profound and powerful ways, even though they have little political and economic power. The authors of this volume provide examples of Christian outreach in Islamic societies in the forms of witness, service, relief work and hospitality. They emphasise that a living faith cannot remain silent, even when in prison, kidnapped or under threat of violence. This book contains sobering reminders that Christian groups are still facing marginalization in a number of predominantly Islamic societies. Nevertheless, as several case studies demonstrate, sustained and concerted advocacy efforts may well lead to an improvement of their position. Dr Bernhard J. G. Reitsma (born 1965) is professor by special appointment VU University Amsterdam, for The Church in the Context of Islam, and also project manager Christianity and Islam at the Christian University of Applied Sciences in Ede, the Netherlands, Senior Lecturer in Missiology at the Christian University of Applied Sciences in Ede, and minister by special appointment in the Protestant Church in the Netherlands. He obtained his doctorate in 1997 at the University of Leiden with a dissertation entitled: Geest en schepping (Spirit and creation) (1997), worked in Lebanon for almost 8 years on behalf of the GZB as a staff member of IFES and as a teacher at the Near East School of Theology and the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary. After his return from Lebanon he worked for Open Doors International and is currently working at the CHE in Ede as a senior teacher of missiology and Islam and project leader for Islam.