Phillip Sherman
Phillip Sherman, associate professor of religion at Maryville College, will present a free course on Islam for five Sundays at 1 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, which is at the intersection of Oak Ridge Turnpike and Lafayette Drive.
The classes will start this Sunday, January 10, in the fellowship hall of the sanctuary building.
“This will be an excellent opportunity to separate fact from fiction with respect to the beliefs of our Muslim brothers and sisters,†said the Reverend Sharon Youngs, church pastor. The lecture-and-discussion course, which will end on February 7, is open to the public.
With about 1.6 billion followers, or 23 percent of the global population, Islam is the second-largest religion (after Christianity) by number of adherents (Muslims). According to many sources, it’s the fastest-growing major religion in the world. Most Muslims are of two denominations: Sunni (75 to 90 percent) and Shia (10 to 20 percent).
The titles of the five classes are “The Origins of Islam and the Life of the Prophet Muhammadâ€; “The Revelation of the Qur’anâ€; “Sunni and Shi’ia Islamâ€; “The Five Pillars: Practicing the Faithâ€; and “Western Encounters with Islam.â€
“I am always excited to enter into conversation with folks about Islam,†Sherman said. “I think we find ourselves at a difficult moment in our country. The rhetoric about Islam—especially during the current presidential election cycle—is far more intense and robust than our actual knowledge about Islam.
“I hope these sessions will be a chance for people to talk about their questions in an open and respectful way. Islam, like all religious traditions, is marked by great diversity. I am looking forward to seeing what I learn and take away from my time in Oak Ridge.â€
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Tracy Stout-Powers says
“This will be an excellent opportunity to separate fact from fiction with respect to the beliefs of our Muslim brothers and sisters,†said the Reverend Sharon Youngs, church pastor.
I understand we are all human beings, made in the likeness of God. However, as a Christian, I question how you, as a Christian, can refer to Muslims as our “brothers and sisters”? This is a term that has traditionally been used within the Church for those who know God as Father through Jesus Christ the Son. It blurs a very vital distinction between creation and re-creation (born and born again) and in effect Christianizes Muslims who do not want to be Christianized because of their allegiance to Muhammad as Allah’s apostle.
Wouldn’t we be better off to combine both our sameness as human beings and the distinctive difference of belonging to a completely different set of beliefs? Some Christians in some Muslim majority countries refer to Muslims as their cousins. This seems more appropriate as opposed to the seemingly theologically careless use of the phrase “Muslim brothers and sisters.”
I wonder if this study time might be better spent in the Word of God as opposed to learning about Islam. After all, Obama has made it clear to everyone that will listen that none of the terrorist’s actions, (which include the chaos and warring by Isis, Al Quaeda, Boko Haram, Taliban, etc., in Syria, Iraq, Gaza, Jordan, Iran, Lebanon, Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, etc., many African countries, the UK, Germany, France, Hungary)….have anything to do with Islam.
Tracy Stout-Powers
Philip W Nipper says
Based on your comments, you should consider attending.
Tracy Stout-Powers says
Not on your life. I’ll spend my time in the Word and pray for them. I know all I need to know about islam and it’s followers. I’ve watched hours upon hours of documentaries about those living in muslim majority countries, read countless articles about their beliefs and spoken with many on social media, some good people and some bad. I don’t just go by what the media portrays. However, I don’t play with fire.