Experiencing the Gospel

An Examination of Muslim Conversion to Christianity in Cambodia

Thomas W. Seckler

• Publisher: Pickwick Publications
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9781725253513, 9781725253520
• eBook ISBN: 9781725253537
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Ministry

In recent years, increasing numbers of people from Muslim backgrounds have become followers of Jesus. Some of these conversions have occurred in Cambodia. This book explores the experiences and reflections of forty Cambodians from a Muslim background who have chosen to believe in and follow Jesus. It is based on doctoral research utilizing in-depth interviews which sought to answer the following questions:1) What role did contextualizing the Christian message play in making it more understandable and compelling?2) What core themes or factors did those interviewed report as central in their own conversions?3) How was the gospel message itself experienced as personally meaningful?This book probes the answers to those questions, revealing the manner in which forty Cambodians experienced God and the gospel message. The stories and reflections found here not only provide a glimpse into their lives, but also give insight into the way in which Muslim-background individuals come to believe in and embrace Jesus.

1

Research Focus

Religious conversion is both complicated and fascinating. It often introduces marked changes into one’s life, relationships, and perspectives. It is thus not surprising that scholars such as psychologist William James or anthropologist Joel Robbins have devoted attention to this topic. Missiologists have also expressed interest in religious conversion, partially because a better understanding of it can lead to the clearer communication of the gospel message to others.

Context can significantly impact both the openness of individuals or groups to convert to another religion and also the frequency of conversions. Followers of Islam have historically been among the least likely to convert to Christianity. Various social factors doubtless help account for the pattern, including both the inconceivability that one would leave the fold of Islam and the strong social sanctions that often follow when one does, ranging from criticism to outright persecution. And yet in recent decades, in a wide variety of regions of the world, there have been dramatically increasing numbers of those from Muslim backgrounds who have become followers of Christ.1 While some quality studies have been completed on the subject of people from a Muslim background converting to Christ,2 more research is needed on this topic. Previous studies have often focused on general factors that attracted individuals to Jesus or influenced their conversion. One’s interaction with the message itself has not been studied as deeply, including how the gospel message was experienced as personally meaningful. This more narrow focus is one of the objectives of this Cambodian study. Most research conducted by others has occurred in locations where Islam is the majority religion and/or among majority ethnic groups in those locations (for example, studies in North Africa and the Middle East). While those studies are valuable, few have been conducted on Muslims in areas where they are the minority religion or are a minority ethnic group. The Cambodian context provides an opportunity to study religious conversion among individuals whose ethnic group and background religion are both a minority in that country. Cambodia is also located in Southeast Asia, where few studies have been completed about Muslim conversion to Christianity, but where significant populations of Muslims exist. Some previous studies have utilized primarily a quantitative approach with the use of surveys.3 Information gained from this method is helpful, but the qualitative approach used in this Cambodian study offers the opportunity to gather rich data about the manner in which Muslim-background individuals have interacted with the gospel message.

Research Concern

Cambodia is one context where conversion is occurring among those who have traditionally followed Islam. The majority of Muslims in Cambodia identify with the Cham ethnic group. Cambodian Muslims (Cham and otherwise) are a minority among the majority Buddhist-background inhabitants, and they have deep historical roots in Islam. However, in recent years there have been a small but growing number of Cambodian Muslims who self-identify as followers of Isa (Jesus) or as Christians. The conversion of Muslim background people to Christianity in Cambodia has previously not been studied.

Significance of the Research

On the social scientific level, this study is significant in that it increases understanding about religious conversion, specifically about conversion from Islam to Christianity. More narrowly, this research seeks to understand one of the most fundamental aspects of religious conversion, the impact of the religious message itself in the lives of humans. One’s conscience, will, intellect, and emotions may all be involved in this complex process, as well as external actors such as other humans. Interaction with a religious message and conversion is often powerful and life-changing. It needs to be more fully understood.4 A focus of this study is thus that of messaging. First, how is the religious message communicated? Second, how is the message understood by individuals and how do they perceive it as personally meaningful and compelling—in short, how is the message experienced by those who receive it?

The above insights have missiological implications. Clarity on these issues impacts both how people present a religious message and how people understand and assist individuals or groups who have converted. It also informs the process of contextualization; specifically the communication of a message in a manner whi...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Acknowledgments
• Abbreviations
• Chapter 1: Research Focus
• Chapter 2: Literature Review
• Chapter 3: Methodology
• Chapter 4: Communication and Contextualization of the Christian Message
• Chapter 5: Prominent Themes and Factors in the Conversion Process
• Chapter 6: Personal Experience of the Christian Message
• Chapter 7: Summary, Missiological Implications and Recommendations
• Appendix A: Interview Questions
• Appendix B: Cloth Illustrated with Bible Stories
• Bibliography