Dr Phil Parshall has done us all a service by comparing the concept of community (ummah) in Islam and Christianity. The Arabic word ummah, said to be derived from umm (mother), is probably related to the Hebrew ummah (nation see p. 26). The author wishes to equip his reader to be ‘in a better position to counsel the convert from Islam on how to remain within Muslim society and at the same time share his newfound faith in Christ’ (p. 22).

The first three well-written and interesting chapters deal with the Foundation of Islamic Community, Diversity within Muslim Community and Muslim Community in the Islamic World. I question the sentence on p. 128: ‘Prostitution and pornography are minimal in Islamic communities’. Pornography may be, but among the 90 million Muslims of the country where I live every town has its red light area and evening queues. I agree that ‘Historically one problem with Islam has been its reluctance to engage in self-criticism’ (p. 132). It is useful to have such strong evidence for the denial of the rumour that Neil Armstrong heard the azan (call to prayer) on the moon (p. 144). Parshall notes that ‘As more Muslims embrace fundamentalism the cause of Islamic ummah is strengthened’ (p. 148). On p. 183 Parshall mentions the frequently quoted verse from the Qur’an: ‘God cannot beget nor be begotten’, and call this an attack on the incarnation. In fact it is an attack on a misinterpretation or misunderstanding of the incarnation.

Chapter 4 deals with the Structure of Christian Community. It draws material from mainly North American Protestant evangelicalism and is somewhat limited and inadequate in both its view of the church and in its lack of references to the contemporary Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Episcopal churches.

One comes with the greatest interest to learn what Phil Parshall has to say in his concluding chapter on Christian Presence within the Muslim Community. One is surprised that his findings are not that radical but they are certainly very helpful, partly because he himself has experimented with and tested various approaches. We should take note of his plea on p. 220: ‘More prayer, research, and creative thinking are called for.’

Parshall writes as though it is mainly the western missionary who is sharing the faith of Christ in the Muslim world. Little is said of individual national believers, existing churches, missionaries from the Third World and the host of expatriate workers concerned with cross-cultural communication who live and work in Islamic lands. He continues the debate about homogenous unit churches. True, we have them in the west but are they not a sign of the churches’ weakness and failure? Then what about women (p. 187)? Parshall emphasizes winning the male leaders. One wonders what his assessment would be of all the zenana work in the Indian subcontinent in the last century and the early part of this. Today I know of a house church in North Africa composed entirely of women. Perhaps this is taking the homogenous unit too far. Mothers, however, influence children, both male and female, probably more than fathers. Christian witness among women may be pre-evangelism but sometimes it is more. I agree with Parshall about avoiding the term ‘Son of God’, but my problem about this is that I know of 200 Muslims who have come to Christ in a town where the only two servants of Jesus Christ (foreign women) proclaimed him Son of God from the start. God sometimes surprises us.

I am very grateful to Phil Parshall for his book. The subject of ummah needs probing, and his personal spirituality, humility and sharing are very helpful. May we join with him in his prayer on p. 212, ‘As we cry out to the Lord for a new movement in the Muslim world, let us be prepared to follow where he leads us’.

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