Insider Movements and Inreligionization

"Insider movement is a term used in the field of missiology to describe a group or network of people from a non-Christian religion who have embraced the life and teaching of Jesus Christ as described in the Bible, while remaining relationally, culturally and socially a part of the religious community of their birth" (Wikipedia). Insider movements represents a mission approach informed by contextualisation/inculturaltion and what I would call inreligionisation (also called inreligionization/inreligionation). Inculturation means that the gospel interacts with a local culture, being expressed in a way that includes local cultural forms and transforming the culture. Inreligionasation means that the gospel interacts with a religion, being expressed in a way that inclueds local religious forms and transforming the religion. One of the most famous representatives of insider movements is the Syrian author Mazhar Mallouhi, known from the book Pilgrims of Christ on the Muslim Road: Exploring a New Path between Two Faiths by Paul-Gordon Chandler.

Insider Movements - in General

Antonides, Harry. “The Insider Movement: Tinkering With the Christian Mission to the Muslim World” (Christian Renewal, November 11, 2009, pg. 34-36.)

Chandler, Paul-Gordon, Pilgrims of Christ on the Muslim Road: Exploring a New Path between Two Faiths (Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers Inc., 2008).

Chandler, Paul-Gordon, “Mazhar Mallouhi: Gandhi‟s Living Christian Legacy in the Muslim World,”( International Bulletin of Missionary Research 27/2 (2003): 54-59).
Download. A very appreciative review of the book by Leith Gray: Download. A very critical review of the book June Engdal. Download.

Coleman, Doug, A Theological Analysis of the Insider Movement Paradigm from Four Perspectives: Theology of Religions, Revelation, Soteriology and Ecclesiology (Pasadena, CA: WCIU Press, 2011).
"Combining elements of the missiological concepts of people movements and high-level contextualization, the Insider Movement paradigm (IMP) proposes that biblical faith in Jesus can potentially be lived out within any religious culture. Therefore faith in Jesus does not require severing ties with one’s pre-faith religious community. This claim represents a new paradigm for ministry among peoples living in predominantly non-Christian religious cultures. To support this claim, IMP proponents appeal to a number of arguments, some of them sociological but others biblical and theological. Many of these claims intersect with four areas of theology: theology of religions, the doctrine of revelation, soteriology, and ecclesiology. This dissertation evaluates the IMP from these four perspectives". Read Abstract. Read parts of the book online here.

Garrison, David, “Church Planting Movements vs. Insider Movements: Missiological Realities vs. Mythological Speculations” (International Journal of Frontier Missions, Vol 21, 2004).

Greenlee, David. “New Faith, Renewed Identity: How Some Muslims are Becoming Followers of Jesus.”
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Higgins, Kevin, "Discipling the Nations and the Insider Movement Conversation" (Mission Frontiers, Jan-Feb, 2011)
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Higgins, Kevin. “The Key to Insider Movements: The “Devoted's” of Acts.”
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International Journal of Frontier Missions. Insider Movements - The Conversation Continues (24-2, 2007)
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International Journal of Frontier Missions, The Jerusalem Council: Descriptive or Prediction? (24-1, 2007)
On insider movements. Download.

Lewis, Rebecca, "Insider Movements: Honoring God-Given Identity and Community" (International Journal of Frontier Missiology 26:1,2009)
Defines "insider movements" in relation to "people movements" and "church planting movements" as "movements to obedient faith in Christ that remain integrated with or inside their natural community. In any insider movement there are two distinct elements:1. The gospel takes root within pre-existing communities or social networks, which become the main expression of “church” in that context. Believers are not gathered from diverse social networks to create a “church.” New paral- lel social structures are not invented or introduced.2. Believers retaint heiridentity as members of their socio-religious community while living under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the authority of the Bible." Download.

Lewis, Rebecca, "The Integrity of the Gospel and Insider Movements" (International Journal of Frontier Mission 27(1) 2010)

Insider Movements among Jews

Members of insider movements among Jews are generally knows as Messianic Jews or Jews for Jesus.

Gefen, Gavriel, Jesus Movements. Discovering Biblical Faith in the Most Unexpected Places (Frontiers Mission May 2011)

Goble, Philip E., Everything You Need to Grow a Messianic Synagogue (South Pasadena: CA: William Carey, 1974)

Harris-Shapiro, Carol,  Messianic Judaism (Boston: Beacon Press, 2000).

Massey, Joshua, “Living Like Jesus, a Torah-Observant Jew: Delighting in God’s Law for Incarnational Witness to Muslims” (International Journal of Frontier Missions, Spring- Summer 2004).

Insider Movements among Muslims

Members in insider movements among Muslims are known by many names, incl. Isa Muslims.


Asad, Abdul, Rethinking the Insider Movement Debate: Global Historical Insights Toward an Appropriate Transitional Model of C5

Cumming, Joseph, "Muslim Followers of Jesus?".
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Dutch, Bernard, "Should Muslims Become 'Christians'? (International Journal of Frontier Mission 17(1) 2000)

Gilliland, Dean S., "Context Is Critical in Islampur Case." (Evangelical Misions Quarterly 34(4):415-17).

Goble, Philip E. & Salim Munayer, New Creation Book for Muslims (Pasadena, CA: Mandate Press 1989).

Hansen, Collin, “The Son and the Crescent.” (Christianity Today, February 2011)
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Higgins, Kevin, "Identity, Integrity and Insider Movements" (International Journal of Frontier Missions 23:3, 2006)
Higgins  "thesis is that one can maintain a dual identity and be a fully biblical disciple of Jesus." In explaining his thesis he does two things. "First, I will describe how being a member of the church does not require a denial of one’s other identities, but is actually lived out within them. Then I will also seek to describe several ways in which one’s identity as a Muslim may be maintained with integrity as a follower of Jesus, and provide a brief rationale." Download.

Higgins, Kevin, "Speaking the Truth about Insider Movements" (St. Prancis Magazine 5(6), 2009)

Jørgensen, Jonas A., Jesus Imanders And Christ Bhaktas. A Qualitative And Theological Study Of Syncretism And Identity In Global Christianity (København:2007, s. 42-50).

Jørgensen, Jonas A., "Vidnesbyrd i kontekst - evangelisering blandt muslimer i Bangladesh og hinduer i Indien" (I Mogens S. Mogensen, Evangelisering - missionens fokus. Ny Mission nr. 15. Frederiksberg: Unitas Forlag, 2008)
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Kraft, Charles, "Dynamic Equivalence Churches in Muslim Society". In Don M McCurry, ed., The Gospel and Islam: A 1978 Compendium, pp. 114-128. Monrovia, CA: MARC)

Massey, Johshu, "God's Amazing Diversity in Drawing Muslims to Christ" (International Journal of Frontier Mission 17(1), 2000)

Parshall, Phil, New Paths In Muslim Evangelism: Evangelical Approaches To Contextualization (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1984).

Parshall, Phil, "Danger! New Directions in Contextualization" (Evangelical Missions Quarterly. 43(4): 404-406, 1998)

Travis, John, "The C1 to C6 Spectrum" (Evangelical Missions Quarterly 34(4):407-408, 1998)
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Travis, John, "Must all Muslims Leavee Islam to Follow Jesus?" (Evangelical Missions Quarterly 34(4):411-415, 1998)
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Travis, John, "Messianic Muslim Followers of Isa: A Closer Look at C5 Believers and Congregations" (International Journal of Frontier Mission 17 (1):53-59, 2000)
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Travis, John, "Appropriate Approaches in Muslim Contexts." In Appropriate Christianity, Charles Kraft (ed.), Pasadena: William Carey Library, 2005, pp. 397-414

Travis, John & J. Dudley Woodberry, "When God's Kingdom Grows Like Yeast: Frequently-Asked-Questions about Jesus Movements within Muslim Communities" (Mission Frontiers, July-August 2010

Messianic Muslim Followers of Isa
John Travis

 Four Responses to Timothy C. Tennent's "Followers of Jesus (Isa) in Islamic Mosques"
John Travis, Phil Parshall, Herbert Hoefer, Rebecca Lewis

A Humble Appeal to C5/Insider Movement Muslim Ministry Advocates to Consider Ten Questions, with Responses from Brother Yusuf, Rick Brown, Kevin Higgins, Rebecca Lewis, and John Travis. International Journal of Frontier Missions 24:1 (Spring 2007), pp. 5–20,
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Website; http://www.thepeopleofthebook.org/

Conferences:
"Bridging the Divide Consultations": The purpose of the consultations was to bring together mission leaders to address the controversy pertaining to the Insider Movement.

• Houghton College hosted the first Bridging the Divide Consultation 20-23 Jun 2011. Read an Assessment of the consultation.
• Houghton College hosted the second Bridging the Divide Consultation June 17-19, 2012 to bring together mission leaders to address the controversy pertaining to the Insider Movement and translation issues surrounding the ‘Son of God’ and ‘Father’ controversy. Read the official Consultation Report. Read Georges Houssney's report.

Insider Movement among Hindus

Members of insider movemens among Hindus are called Christ Bhaktas or Hindu Yeshu

Duerksen, Darren, "Ecclesial Identities of Socioreligious "Insiders": A Case Study of Fellowships among Hindu and Sikh Communities (International Bulletin of Missionary Research, vol 37 (2), April 2013)
The
The article is based on a field study of several groups of Christ-followers in NOrth India who are seeking to renegotiate there relationship  with the wider Hindu and Sikh communities. In order to download, first register here. If registered download here.

Hoefer, Herbert, E., Churchless Christianity. Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library 2001.

Hoefer, Herbert E., "Follow-Up Refelctions On Churchless Christianity" (Mission Frontiers, March-April (1999): P. 36-39).

Hoefer, Herbert E., "Christ-Followers in India Flourishing— But Outside the Church. A review of Churchless Christianity" (Mission Frontiers Dec. 2001)
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Jørgensen, Jonas A., Jesus Imanders And Christ Bhaktas. A Qualitative And Theological Study Of Syncretism And Identity In Global Christianity (København:2007).

Jørgensen, Jonas A., "Vidnesbyrd i kontekst - evangelisering blandt muslimer i Bangladesh og hinduer i Indien" (I Mogens S. Mogensen, Evangelisering - missionens fokus. Ny Mission nr. 15. Frederiksberg: Unitas Forlag, 2008, s. 42-50.)
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Petersen, Brian K., "The Possibility of a "Hindu Christ Follower": Hans Staffner's Proposal for the Dual Identity of Disciples of Christ within High Caste Hindu Communities" (International Journal of Frontier Missions 24-2, 2007)
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Insider Movements among Sikhs

Duerksen, Darren, "Ecclesial Identities of Socioreligious "Insiders": A Case Study of Fellowships among Hindu and Sikh Communities (International Bulletin of Missionary Research, vol 37 (2), April 2013)
The
The article is based on a field study of several groups of Christ-followers in NOrth India who are seeking to renegotiate there relationship  with the wider Hindu and Sikh communities. In order to download, first register here. If registered download here.

Inreligionization - Theology

Pieris, Aloysius, An Asian Theology of Liberation (Maryknoll: Orbis, 1988)

Diego, Sarrio, "An Islamic Christianity? Inreligionation and Christian-Muslim Relations." Conference Paper, Engaging Particularities IX: Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, March 27, 2011).
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Kamath Ravi Santosh SI, "Inculturation or Inreligionization?" (The Ecumenical Review 1987/2. 177–179).

Torres Queiruga, Andrés, "Rethinking Pluralism: From Inculturation to 'Inreligionation'" (Concilium 2007, 1, pp. 102-11).

Soares, Afonso M. L. Syncretism and Interconfessional Theology Some preliminary notes (In José María Vigil, (red.) Toward a Planetary Theology. Along the Many Paths of God. Montreal 2010, Pp. 154-160).
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Articles by Mogens S. Mogensen

"Mazhar Mallouhi - en muslimsk efterfølger af Kristus" (2012). Download.