Islam and The Challenges of Modernity by Dr. David Marshall

Dr. David Marshall explains about Islam and The Challenges of Modernity

Dr. David Marshall with UPH Senior Management; Connie Rasilim, S.S., B.Ed, M.Pd, Dr. (Hon) Jonathan L. Parapak, M.Eng.Sc., Raymond Liu, Ph.D.

On Monday, August 10, 2015, at Building B 601-602, UPH campus, Lippo Karawaci, UPH invited Dr. David Marshall, Associate Professor of the Practice of Christian-Muslim Relations to give lecture about ?Islam and The Challenges of Modernity?. With the audiences of approximately 40 lecturers, Dr. David guided the participants to think and discuss, making the seminar became more interactive and critical.

Opening the seminar, Dr. David elaborated three purposes on the importance of Christian to learn about Muslim and the relationship between Christian-Muslim. The first purpose is to motivate Christian to learn to be intelligent. We have to be intelligent and open to who the Muslim really is and not stereotyping them. ?Do not only listen about Muslim from the Christians. Learn about Islam from the Muslim?, he emphasized.

The second purpose talks about humility. If we have openness and humility in our relationship with others, God will teach us. ?God wants to teach us through others,? Dr. David said.

The third purpose is confidence. As we learn about Islam, we can remain convinced of the truth of the Christian faith and indeed be led deeper into it. ?We need to be ready to give an account of our faith, and the encounter with Islam challenges us to do that?, he said. It challenges us to think harder about our faith. For example, it challenges us to think why we believe in the Trinity, which many Christians struggle to give an account of.

Although Dr. David did not talk directly about the situation of Christian-Muslim in Indonesia, he delivered a generalized material that touches many aspects include Indonesia. Dr. David explained briefly about the origin of Islam and how it was strongly and widely spread in pre-modern era. But in modern era, western world?s dominance in global stage results in Muslim becomes minority.

Furthermore, Dr. David elaborated about three types of Islamic response to the modern world that consist of: Traditionalism, Modernism, and Islamism. Traditionalism sees the onslaughts of modern world as a threat to Islam, especially associated with the ulama, marked by the hostility to innovation, and a respectful attitude toward tradition.

Modernism emphasizes on the compatibility of modernity and Islam and the need of new theology. The Muslim that subscribe modernism shows openness to modernity, innovation, and diversity.

On the other hand, Islamism focuses on the restoration of the truly Islamic character of the Muslim world that has been lost or severely weakened by the impact of western world (westernization). This type of response emphasizes on recognizing the sovereignty of God alone and of Islam as the total solution of life.

UPH Lecturers are very interactive in group discussion session

During the discussion session, UPH lecturers are led to talk about Christian-Muslim condition and Muslim itself in Indonesia. The increasing volume of voices in the room and also the critical comments marked the interest, deep comprehension, and awareness about the condition in Indonesia.

Dr. David Marshall closed the seminar by saying, ?As Christians, we do not have right to decide which type of Muslim is right. It is their right and faith to decide.? Dr. David also motivated the participants to live in peace as neighbors to Muslim. (nn)