For Christians
for ministry among Muslims
Who This Page Is For
Whether you are a Christian living among Muslim communities, a pastor whose congregation includes new Muslim-background believers, a church leader preparing your people to engage Muslim neighbors, or simply a follower of Jesus who wants to love and understand the Muslims in your life — this page is for you.
The resources here are chosen to do two things: help you understand Islam and the Qurʼan more deeply and help you engage Muslim friends and neighbors with both conviction and respect.
Ground-breaking Scholarship in the Field
Ministry among Muslims surfaces theological questions that standard seminary training rarely prepares you for. What does the Qurʼan actually say about Jesus? How should Christians respond to Muslim claims about the Bible’s corruption? What does faithful witness look like in communities where conversion means social death? These are not peripheral questions — they are the questions your Muslim neighbors are already asking about you.
The articles below address these questions with scholarly rigor. They are written to equip, not merely to inform.
Mark Harlan’s articles — equipping reading for workers
Harlan, Mark
“The Qurʼan and the Bible: Competitors or Companions?” Directly addresses one of the most common points of Muslim-Christian friction: the relationship between the two scriptures. Ideal for workers who need a theologically grounded, academically credible response to the charge that the Bible has been corrupted. Journal of Ecumenical Studies, 2025.
Harlan, Mark
“Christian Zionism: A Missiological Emergency.”
Essential reading for workers in Muslim-majority contexts, where Christian Zionism is often the single largest obstacle to the credibility of the Gospel. Argues from a missiological and
biblical perspective for a re-examination of evangelical assumptions. Journal of the Evangelical Missiological Society, 2023.
Harlan, Mark
“The Role of Ishmael in the Divine Drama: Act 1” and “Act 2”
A two-part study of Ishmael’s place in the biblical narrative — a figure of profound importance in Islamic self-understanding. Helps workers think carefully about how to engage Muslim identity and heritage through Scripture rather than around it. Journal of Linguistics, Culture & Religion, 2022–2023.
Featured articles by Muslim and Christian scholars
Rashid, Ungaran & Harlan, Mark.
“Son of God in the Gospel of John”
Co-authored with a former professor of comparative religion at the International Islamic University Malaysia, this article examines one of the most theologically charged phrases in Christian-Muslim dialogue. Useful for workers who need to explain Christology without triggering immediate rejection. Available on the BridgingScriptures website.
Al-Saber, Ayoub.
“Distortion and Divine Revelation”
An excerpt from a 2026 study of the Messiah in the Qurʼan, co-authored by Sheikh Ayoub Al-Saber, a Muslim scholar, and Timothy Michael Paulson. Examines what the Qurʼan’s own language reveals about the identity and mission of the Messiah. Valuable for workers who want to understand how a Muslim scholar engages these questions from within the Islamic tradition.
Saeed, Abdullah.
“The Charge of Distortion of Jewish and Christian Scriptures”
A Muslim scholar’s rigorous engagement with the tahrīf (corruption) claim. Reading a Muslim scholar take this question seriously gives workers a better understanding of where the charge comes from and how to address it honestly.
Abu Rabee, Iyad.
“The True Meaning of Al-Injīl in the Qurʼan”
A Muslim scholar’s careful study of what the Qurʼan itself means when it refers to the Injīl — directly relevant for workers whose Muslim friends question whether the Gospel they read is the same one the Qurʼan affirms.
Talman, Harley.
Numerous articles
A missiologist who advocates a contextually sensitive, theologically bridging, kingdom-oriented philosophy whose goal is discipleship to Jesus the Messiah, not proselytization.
Recommended Books
They range from accessible introductions to serious scholarly treatments.
Abu Rabeʾa, Iyad. Good Friday:
The Death of the Messiah on the Cross — A Qurʼanic Study
For workers who regularly encounter Muslim rejection of the crucifixion: this book argues from the Qurʼan itself that the text affirms the death and crucifixion of the Messiah. A valuable resource for theologically serious conversations.
Phillips, Jim.
The Evolution of the Muslim Jesus
A short, accessible study of how the figure of Isa (Jesus) in Muslim thought has been changing — and why this matters for workers today. Ideal for workers who want to understand the Muslim Jesus before speaking about the Christian one.
Galadari, Abdulla.
Qurʼanic Hermeneutics: Between Science, History and the Bible
For workers with a serious interest in how the Qurʼan engages biblical material. Galadari’s scholarship opens interpretive doors that are directly relevant to Christian-Muslim dialogue.
Organizations That Train and Equip
these organizations offer the most rigorous options available.
For formation and long-term equipping
Woodberry Intercultural Institute
Offers the Peace College seminar for mid-career Christian practitioners in Christian-Muslim relations. Director Joseph Cumming collaborates with the office of the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar. Among the most serious formation programs available.
https://www.woodberryinstitute.org
Network of Centers for Christian-Muslim Relations (NCCMR)
Offers an online Diploma in Christian-Muslim Relations taught over 12 months in English. Suitable for workers seeking structured academic grounding without relocating.
https://nccmr.org/
Dallas International University
Offers undergraduate and graduate courses on the Bible, the Qurʼan, Islam, and Christian service. Search for courses with the prefix “AC.”
www.diu.edu
For dialogue and peacebuilding
Peace Catalyst International
Equips Christians for peacebuilding: Jesus followers helping the Church build peace instead of division.
https://www.peacecatalyst.org/
Center for Muslim & Christian Studies, Houston
Conducts research and offers resources, seminars, and courses on the Qurʼan and the Bible in which Christians and Muslims study together.
https://www.cmcshouston.org
Common Ground Consultants
Resources and consulting for Christian workers building bridges with Muslim communities.
https://bridgingscriptures.com
Videos and Podcasts
Each of Mark Harlan’s articles has a corresponding video presentation and podcast — a Brief Overview, a Debate version and/or a Deep Dive version — available in the Media section of this site. These are useful for personal study, small group discussion, or training settings.
Videos by others are also featured: “The Kingdom Tree” demonstrates the message of the Gospel, the Good News of the Kingdom of God, not about conversion to a particular religion. The video of Ibrahim’s Story is an example of this.
Explore Further
Explore curated resources, and insightful articles to deepen your understanding and continue your learning journey.