A Wind in the House of Islam: How God Is Drawing Muslims Around the World to Faith in Jesus Christ

Delivered as described and sooner than promised.The book has discussion questions built in so that makes it great for Christians who want to read it together.Many contributors so this is not just one man’s opinion.

Sometimes I am not sure what is going on in my own heart, let alone that of my neighbor, still less the billion-plus Muslims in hundreds of cultures around the world whom I have never met. Garrison is undertaking a difficult task, delving into a spiritual revolution in the lives of millions of Muslims in nine distinct regions of the world who are attracted to the person of Jesus, and seek to become his followers in some sense.At first I was a little irritated by the "scholarly apparatus" which Garrison trots out to explain or justify his approach -- "I'm not neutral, we all bring certain biases, I have these preconceptions," etc. etc. Yeah, we know that, but this is not a dissertation or an article in a sociology journal. But in the end, his scholarly caution, ability to bracket claims, and understanding of methodology and all that, really do add to the value of this book. He avoids Hype and Rumor, those twin "orphan children" that would rob his arguments blind, and presents a balanced and credible picture of a very encouraging, if still small, movement.Garrison takes us through those "nine rooms" of the House of Islam one by one, interviewing new followers of Jesus. Sometimes he lapses into evangelical enthusiast mode, and who wouldn't? After 1300 years, finally we see Muslims coming to Christ in appreciable numbers. And many of the stories are amazing, even if talk of dreams and healing are sometimes a little too vague for the critical apologist in me. Like another reviewer, I was particular struck by the stories of a group of Muslim men who shocked their missionary confidants by their matter-of-fact talk about beating and even killing uppity or lazy or incompetent wives, and what happened next. Which only goes to show that for any of us, conversion is just the beginning.What I liked best about this book, besides the good news it brought, was how it covered so many separate regions of the world. I have met a few converts from some of these regions, and heard their stories. And Muslims I have met seem to share a sincere belief in God based on grounds I hold in common with them, such as the marvels of Nature. But as a China scholar who wrote his dissertation (and first book, True Son of Heaven: How Jesus Fulfills the Chinese Culture) on the "fulfillment" relation between Christianity and East Asian tradition, I have always been biased against the same treatment of Islamic tradition. I regard Mohammed, unlike say Confucius or Lao Zi, as a fundamentally bad person -- a murderer, war-monger, rapist and slave-trader who did not really hear from God. And yet, it seems, the Holy Spirit often does use the Koran's many references to the "Breath of God" or "Messiah," Jesus Christ, to point Muslims in our day towards a better prophet. All I can say is, praise God!

This book is difficult to review. It contains enormously important and exciting information regarding Muslims who have been increasingly coming to faith in Jesus but also leaves much to be desired. The author and his colleagues traveled extensively in Muslim lands interviewing those who had become Christians, although some of the Muslim believers did not use the label "Christian" to describe their faith, instead calling themselves simply followers of Jesus. The author divided the Muslim "house" into "rooms" based on geographic, cultural, and language considerations and attempts to provide insight into how and why Muslims become believers in Jesus. Some of these insights are quite surprising. However, the author attempts too much, diluting the power of his narrative by supplying a great deal of background information and history for each "room" in the Muslim house. When the believers are allowed to speak for themselves, their stories are compelling, but far too little of the book is devoted to these stories. Many of those who ultimately became believers repeatedly mentioned the crucial components of dreams and miracles as drawing them to Jesus, but these events are given short shrift, although they could well have proven to be the most fascinating parts of the book. The violence toward women and girls that seems to be an inseparable part of the Muslim culture is not addressed in a satisfying manner. Interviewed believers are not asked how their faith has affected their treatment of their wives and children or how their home lives are different now that they have become believers. To me, as a woman, this oversight is irresponsible on the part of the author and others who made decisions regarding what interview questions to include. Asking these questions could have served as an opportunity to provide a Biblical perspective (vs Western Christian perspective) on Godly relations between husband and wife. The issue is explored somewhat in the section on Western South Asia, which includes Afghanistan. In this section we learn that women are valued no more highly than sheep or goats, that a husband probably feels no emotional connection between himself and the girl that his parents have chosen for him to marry, and that extreme brutality against wives is carried out in the most casual fashion. A believer is quoted as explaining, "If a woman does something that does not please her husband-perhaps the food is late, or the animals are not properly cared for-the husband and his brothers will grab her by the hair and drag her through the streets to the cemetery, AND WE WOULD BURY HER ALIVE. This is not a story from long ago. This happens now. For any number of reasons we men would do this." After being provided with scriptures on the treatment of women as described in the New Testament, a small group of believing men proclaimed that they would "no longer beat their wives." From this changed attitude a women's movement began to grow but it had no occurred to these Christian men that refraining from brutalizing their wives was desirable from their previous study of the gospels. That these attitudes and behaviors are so ingrained that such a monumental shift in thinking as coming to Jesus from Islam may have no effect on them is disturbing and discouraging. The author misses a great opportunity in not confronting the issues at stake in the mistreatment of one half of the Muslim population by Muslim men, whether or not they are Christians. My personal opinion is that he may have been afraid that to do so would seem like imposing our "Western" standards upon their Christianity and their culture, however much that culture may engage in what any civil society would consider heinous criminal acts (child rape as in forced marriages between much older men and very young girls, beating girls and women, and murdering girls and women are generally considered criminal acts in civil societies). Unfortunately, the author is not content to allow the dramatic stories that he has collected speak for themselves. He ends the book with a moralizing chapter on turning the other cheek, not seeking an eye for an eye, and not fearing and hating Muslims. He does not make a clear distinction between violent jihadists with whom we are at war and those Muslims who desire to live in peace. However, it is impossible not to admire the courage and determination displayed by Muslim-background believers, some of whom lose everything, including their lives, for their faith. This book whets the appetite for more narratives that allow the reader to step inside the lives of these extraordinary people.

This book is a game-changer for Christian missionaries who seek to engage with Muslims at home and abroad. It identifies mistakes in evangelism that, for centuries, deterred Muslims from embracing the Gospel, then sets out to show from the Qur'an's own words that Isa (i.e. Jesus) was sinless, whereas, Muhammad was a sinner, and that Isa (Jesus), and not Muhammad, will return at the end of time to judge the world. For its authority to make such claims the Qur'an points to the Christian scriptures. Moreover, the Qur'an nowhere provides Muslims with assurance that their sins are forgiven. Because of this Qur'anic testimony, Christian evangelism among Muslims needs to begin here.From a wide selection of Islamic cultural and political backgrounds the author shows the impact of this approach to evangelism which, upon being applied, is resulting in many groups of Muslims turning from following Muhammad to trusting in Christ for their salvation. This work of evangelism is largely carried out by indigenous ex-Muslims, however, western Christians are contributing to its success by the publishing of Bibles and religious literature, including broadcasts and films, in vernacular languages.None of this could possibly succeed without the Holy Spirit - the Wind in the book's title - from initiating and enlivening their wwork.

A fascinating account of howMuslims are discovering Jesus Christ. The book outlines the historical background and is carefully researched and annotated. Questions at the end of each chapter are thought-provoking, often challenging common assumptions regarding conversion.

I bought this unsure of what to expect but it was a revelation of God at work in the Muslim world in the modern day. A great stimulus to pray for God to continue this work and an great encouragement to press on serving God knowing that his will is being worked out in the world.

I found this book a bit "heavy" at first with detail but, as I got into reading, I began to understand the nature of the research behind it and particularly appreciated both the historical background information presented and the major changes that are clearly taking place in some muslim lives a they discover who Jesus is and why he came to live amongst us. The book also provided, for me, a better understanding of Islam, together with links into biblical text which I had not previously considered when talking with muslim neighbours - very helpful.

This book reports on a thorough and well-planned investigation into the growing movements to Jesus in the Muslim world. The movements are a recent phenomenon and differ in many ways from region to region. For the most part they are hidden. But David Garrison has managed to paint a clear and dynamic picture, with many personal stories and individual movements described in fascinating and heart-warming detail. Something amazing and unprecedented is happening, and this book portrays it well. It will also challenge your view of Islam and your personal responsibility as a follower of Jesus. What a great book!