Author: US Christians Should Extend Grace to Arab World

An interview I recently did for The Christian Post:

By Mark Hensch | CP Contributor

Carl Medearis is a writer equally at home in East and West. Currently residing in Denver, Colo., he also spent 12 years in Beirut, Lebanon. These experiences have made the scribe a specialist on Christian-Muslim relations and a rare voice linking Americans with the Arab world.

Medearis’ work on both sides of the Atlantic produced 2008’s Muslims, Christians, and Jesus: Gaining Understanding and Building Relationships. It quickly gained popularity as an important guide for interfaith interaction, and has since been turned into a video seminar series for churches and missionaries that was released in September.

In an interview with The Christian Post, Medearis maintains that peace between Christians and Muslims remains vital as the number following each faith closes. With 9/11’s legacy still looming large a decade later, he argues that Christians and Muslims must cooperate to keep the world safe.

Love Your Enemies

Love Your Enemies from The Austin Stone on Vimeo.

Something Beautiful Podcast Interview

Last week I did an interview on the Something Beautiful Podcast. Click on the link below to listen.

Something Beautiful Podcast Interview – September 30, 2011

A Guest Blog from Scholar and Friend Colin Chapman

9/11 IN THE USA and 7/22 IN NORWAY: FACING OUR FEARS ABOUT MUSLIMS AND ISLAM

Rev. Colin Chapman

The Bush Administration responded to 9/11 with “the war on terror.” Anders Breivik committed his crimes on 22 July 2011 because he felt that Europe as a whole, and Norway in particular, had been naive in their response to Islam. Have we learned anything from what has happened in the last ten years about the way we think about Islam and relate to Muslims, and can we articulate a considered, long-term response to these events? This is my own personal check-list of ways in which I believe all of us in Europe – and Christians in particular – should be responding to these challenges.

1. Establishing genuine relationships with Muslims. Many of those who are most fearful about Islam have little or no personal contacts with Muslims. A recent doctoral researcher in the UK has concluded that “those who had ongoing friendships with Muslims tended to be more eirenic than those who had not lived in the Muslim world or had no Muslim friends.” Perhaps, therefore, we need to be much more intentional in this area and ask ourselves “How can I/we develop natural relationships with the Muslims in my community?”

Muslims, Christians, and Jesus DVD Promo

The Word “Christian”

Initial Thoughts On My New CNN Article

CNN has asked me to write another article on the difference between “following Jesus” and simply “becoming a Christian.” Of course, I’m happy to oblige. So….hope you don’t mind, but I’d like to work this out a bit with you guys and let you make comments to help shape this article.

Interview with “Ground Zero Mosque” Imam Abdul Rauf

I had a delightfully fun interview this morning with Imam Abdul Rauf of the so-called “Ground Zero Mosque.” About 70 minutes on the phone. He was so engaging, open, interesting and downright easy to talk to. I think our paths will cross again!

Why Are We So Angry About Hell?

An article I recently wrote for the Huffington Post. You can also view this article here.

As an author that travels and speaks in evangelical circles, I read constantly. About two books a week, along with subscriptions to 10 or more magazines and the usual diet of blogs and news. It’s a busy pace, but I have a good reason for it. I speak to about 100,000 evangelical Christians a year, and people are always asking me what I think about the latest book.

“You Get the Blessing” Radio Program Interview

Click here to listen to my recent interview discussing Speaking of Jesus on the You Get the Blessing radio program with Bob Beltz and Bo Mitchell. (Sunday, July 10, 2011)