Toward a Healthier Contextualization among Muslims: A Biblical Theological Evaluation of the Insider Movement and Its Lessons

Various ministry approaches have been utilized in Muslim nations in the past in order to lead lost souls into God's Kingdom. One noticeable trend in recent years in the ministry is an increasing emphasis on contextualization. While the evangelical missiological community searches for more effective contextualization models, some ad hoc proposals have complicated the issue. One representative case is the Insider Movement among Muslims, whose advocates contend that Muslim followers of Isa (Jesus) can remain within their own Islamic socio-religious community while continuing in Islamic religious practices. What is urgently needed in the contemporary discussion on contextualization is to develop a comprehensive analytical framework based on a sound biblical-theological foundation for evaluating any missiological model. After reviewing the historical development of Muslim evangelism models, this study provides such an analytical framework for developing a healthier contextualization model among Muslims and applies this framework to the Insider Movement by critically evaluating the biblical interpretations and missiological reasonings of the Insider Movement advocates. The writer calls for a healthier contextualization model among Muslims that is biblically authentic and culturally relevant.