EVANGELISM AND FOLK ISLAM: A CASE STUDY IN SOUTH COAST OF KENYA by JOSEPH BOSIRE NYAGWOKA submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF THEOLOGY in the subject of MISSIOLOGY-WITH SPECIALISATION IN MUSLIM EVANGELISM at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA PROMOTER: PROF T.D. MASHAU SEPTEMBER 2017 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................................ ix LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................................... x DEDICATION ..................................................................................................................................... xi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................................. xii ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................................... xiii CHAPTER ONE ................................................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY ........................................................................................... 1 1.2 RESEARCH QUESTION ............................................................................................................ 5 1.3 RELEVANCE OF THE STUDY ................................................................................................ 5 1.4 THE MAIN AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY ...................................................... 6 1.5 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY................................................................................................. 7 1.6 LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................................. 7 1.6.1 Academic books and articles..................................................................................................... 7 1.6.2 Christian books and scholarly articles ................................................................................... 10 1.7 EVANGELISM APPROACHES TO MUSLIMS ................................................................. 11 1.7.1 Confrontational/ debate approach .......................................................................................... 12 1.7.2 Traditional evangelical approach ........................................................................................... 13 1.7.3 Institutional approach ............................................................................................................... 14 1.7.4 Dialogue approach .................................................................................................................... 15 ii 1.7.5 Contextual approach ................................................................................................................. 16 1.8 RESEARCH FRAMEWORK .................................................................................................... 18 1.9 RESEARCH DESIGN ................................................................................................................ 20 1.10 STUDY POPULATION AND SAMPLE .............................................................................. 24 1.11 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................ 26 1.11.1 Direct observation .................................................................................................................. 27 1.11.2 Participant-observation .......................................................................................................... 27 1.11.3 Interviews ................................................................................................................................ 28 1.12 RESEARCH INSTRUMENT .................................................................................................. 29 1.13 DATA ANALYSIS ................................................................................................................... 30 1.14 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS ............................................................................................ 31 1.15 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY ..................................................................................... 32 CHAPTER TWO ................................................................................................................................ 37 BIBLICAL AND THEOLOGICAL BASIS OF MISSION TO PEOPLE ................................. 37 OF OTHER FAITHS ......................................................................................................................... 37 2.1 Geographical Mission in the Bible ............................................................................................ 39 2.2 The universal sovereignty of God and mission ....................................................................... 42 2.3 Three Old Testament basic mission texts ................................................................................. 45 2.4 God’s purpose for Missions in the Old Testament .................................................................. 47 2.4.1 God’s promise and purpose on a global scope (Genesis 1-11) ....................................... 49 2.4.2 Mission for human beings ...................................................................................................... 51 iii 2.4.2.1 God calls a family for His mission, Genesis 12 -50 ......................................................... 52 2.4.2.2 Mission beyond Abraham’s Family .................................................................................... 54 2.4.3 Basis of mission in the book of Exodus 19:4-6 ................................................................. 55 2.4.4 Moses’ encounter with Pharaoh as basis of mission ......................................................... 57 2.4.5 Basis of mission in the book of Deuteronomy .................................................................. 60 2.4.6 The Worldwide Mission of the Lord (in the book of Isaiah)........................................... 61 2.4.7 Prophets’ mission: The eschatological hope for the nations ........................................... 63 2.4.8 Mission in Psalms: God is worthy of the worship of the nations ................................... 74 2.4.9 Mission implications for Israel for other religions............................................................. 76 2.4.9.1 God and the nations in salvation historical overview ....................................................... 77 2.4.9.2 Beginning and the origin of mission to the nations .......................................................... 78 2.4.9.3 Mission of salvation to all nations of the world ................................................................ 79 2.5 God’s mission creation of Kingdom peoples, the Patriarchs ............................................ 82 2.6 Old Testament examples of believing Gentiles which God used to reach Gentiles ..... 85 2.7 Mission of God and the nations in the New Testament ................................................... 88 2.7.1 Jesus’ mission to a Samaritan woman (John 4:1-42) ....................................................... 88 2.7.2 The Samaritan mission: Luke-Acts ...................................................................................... 89 2.8 Mission in the age of the Holy Spirit ................................................................................... 90 2.8.1 Decentralization and diffusion of the Gospel ................................................................... 100 2.8.2 Jesus and the nations: The Gospels .................................................................................... 102 2.8.3 Gentiles and the Kingdom misson .................................................................................... 105 iv 2.8.4 The Great Commission ........................................................................................................ 105 2.8.4.1 The mission of the Great Commission ........................................................................... 108 2.8.4.2 Mission scope of the Great Commission ....................................................................... 109 2.8.4.3 Mission promise of the Great Commission ..................................................................... 109 2.8.4.4 Mission duration of the Great Commission ..................................................................... 110 2.8.5 Mission in the gospel of Matthew ..................................................................................... 110 2.8.6 Mission authority of the Great Commission .................................................................... 110 2.8.7 Luke: The Salvation-historical significance of the Great Commission .......................... 111 2.8.8 The Message of the Great Commission ............................................................................... 111 2.8.9 Mission in the Gospel of John .............................................................................................. 112 2.8.10 Mission: Being sent as Jesus was sent ..............................................................................