WASHINGTON, 13 May 2007 — A professor of religion and expert on Islam has been condemned by certain Baptists in Texas for saying that Christianity and Islam talk about “the same God.” His comments triggered protest resolutions by two associations of churches, which asked the Baptist General Convention of Texas [BGCT] to clarify its doctrinal position.
During a conference in Austin, Texas, Dr. Charles Kimball of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C., said Islamic teaching about Allah involves “the same God that Jews and Christians are talking about.” Kimball presentation last February was at a conference sponsored by the Christian Life Commission of the BGCT.
Leaders in Basin Baptist Network in the Midland/Odessa area in Texas then released an April 5 resolution refuting the “false and precarious” teaching that God as revealed in the Bible, and Allah as presented in the Qur’an, are the same.
The resolution, signed by 14 representatives from eight churches in the Midland/ Odessa area, asked BGCT Executive Director Charles Wade and the BGCT Executive Board to “formally distance themselves and our convention from and publicly denounce such false teaching, and [to] reaffirm the commitment to the doctrine of the triune God as clearly and correctly articulated in the ‘Baptist Faith and Message.’” Dr. Kimball, an ordained Baptist minister who received his theology doctorate from Harvard in comparative religion, and who specialized in Islamic studies, and is the former director of the Middle East Office at the National Council of Churches, said such a virulent rejection is note typical.
“I think the negative reaction I got, and continue to receive by some, is that for some people, anything that goes beyond their own particular experience, is very threatening,” said Dr. Kimball — author of “When Religion Becomes Evil,” and “Striving Together: A Way Forward in Christian-Muslim Relations.” “There’s a very long history of difficulties with Christian-Muslim relations, but since Sept. 11, I’ve seen two very pronounced trends: The encouraging one is that there has been more openness for educational programs, interfaith dialogue programs, cooperation in ways Christian, Muslim and sometimes Jewish communities have built together, and interesting educational programs that recognize that ignorance and fear is not the way to move forward,” he told Arab News in a telephone interview from North Carolina yesterday.
“The second trend is like those in Texas, which is one of digging in heels and adamantly rejecting all of Islam; which is why you hear them say Islam is an evil religion.” “This type of fear and stereotyping is a recipe for disaster, whether it’s by a Muslim or a Christian,” said Dr. Kimball.
Kimball expressed surprise at the degree of furor sparked by remarks not significantly different than “anything I’ve been saying for 30-something years.” Jews, Christians and Muslims have different understandings of God, he said, but all three religions trace their beginnings to a common heritage.
“When you’re talking about the God of Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, you’re talking about the same God. It’s not Vishnu. It’s not Krishna. It’s the God of Abraham,” he said.
“We live in an interdependent, and religiously diverse world, and the very issues that we see on the international stage, and increasingly visible in local communities in the US, and so the challenges of interfaith understanding and cooperation are local, national and international.” To resolve such misunderstanding, Dr.
Kimball said he encourages education and personal encounters.
“There’s a huge Arab and Muslim population in Houston, one of the largest in the country. Engage with your neighbor, get to know each other,” he said.
