Early September, local Mennonite scholar David W. Shenk was invited to Iran for a significant convocation of the country’s top Muslim clerics. The event attracted 4,000 Iranian Shiites, with Islamic theologians coming from some 45 countries. Shenk was even able to converse with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Prior to the two-day convocation, Shenk had the privilege of worshipping with several Iranian Christian congregations.

What was a Lancaster County native doing as one of the speakers at the “Second International Consultation on Mahdism Doctrine” in Tehran, Iran?

Mennonite Central Committee helped to facilitate the connections to the conference. Shenk, who is global consultant with Eastern Mennonite Missions, was hosted by the Bright Future Institute. This was the first ever international Muslim conference in Iran that Christians were invited to attend or contribute to substantively. By Shenk’s count, there were probably five Christians present, of which three were Mennonites, including independent scholar Tom Finger and Gerald Shenk, professor of church and society at Eastern Mennonite Seminary.

When Shenk was at the podium, he invited the Muslim mullahs to exchange greetings with the Christian communities he represents by waggling their hands in African fashion. He smiles. “It was a great joy to see all those Muslim clerics in their turbans waving their hands in greetings to the Christian church.”

Shenk has an unusual approach to Muslim-Christian relations that is grounded in the peace witness of the New Testament. He is considered a significant authority on relations between the two communities and has authored several books on the subject. In an age where these two communities seem increasingly and sometimes even violently at odds with one another, he has engaged in dozens of dialogues with Muslims worldwide, fostering a strong interest and respect for the “opposing side.”

Strangely enough, Shenk does this not by espousing a mushy compromise, but by straightforwardly acknowledging the differences and the similarities between their understanding of faith – and presenting what he passionately believes is the authentic expression of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In doing so, members of both communities are often surprised to discover more common ground than they ever would have believed existed. They are also challenged to grapple with essential teachings of their own faith regarding Jesus, whom both Christians and Muslims confess to be the Messiah, although their understandings of the mission of the Messiah differ.

The “Mahdism Doctrine” that was the focus of the conference refers to the Shiite Islamic belief in “the Mahdi,” a supernatural person who will return in the “end times.” Iranian Shi’ites believe that Jesus Christ will accompany the Mahdi and together they will destroy the anti-Christ to restore peace and justice on the earth. Though Sunni Muslims do not link the Mahdi with the return of Jesus, all Muslims do accept that Jesus was one of the greatest prophets, who uniquely was born of a virgin and worked the miracles recorded in the gospels.

Shenk addressed the Iranian assembly of clerics in a newly-constructed spacious auditorium, with women on one side, dressed in black, and men on the other side, in varying colors according to their religious rank. His paper dealt with how the Old Testament scriptures relate to God’s plan of redemption that is fulfilled in Jesus, and in his second coming. Shenk stated that in the outstretched arms of Jesus crucified, we meet God who seeks to embrace the whole world in forgiveness and restoration. His resurrection was the revelation that Christ crucified is the power of God, that love that suffers for the enemy is more powerful than hate and violence.

After Shenk finished with a reading of the Lord’s Prayer, the chairperson said, “This is something I have never heard before. We should research the books he’s talking about. We need to explore this further!” Shenk says with a smile, “Of course the books were Genesis, Isaiah, Zechariah, Matthew, and other biblical scriptures!”

Shenk believes his paper was very well-received. A friend told him that after the presentation those around him were saying, “He is such a peaceful man, why isn’t he a Muslim?” Numerous interested people approached him with questions: “Who is Jesus? What does this really mean, that Jesus talked about loving your enemies in his journey of forgiveness? What is the foundation of the church?”

Many also wanted to talk to him about the American political agenda as it relates to Iraq, Iran, and Israel, which is deeply disturbing to the Iranian people. Shenk responded that the American national agenda is not the kingdom of God that he seeks to represent. He shared that he prays for both Iran and the United States, interceding that both of these nations will walk in the ways of justice and righteousness.

The Iranians were intrigued by the Christian concept of the kingdom of God. Television reporters probed Shenk with questions about that, as did personal questioners. Shenk comments, “I’m sure that this was the first time for the vast majority of these mullahs to hear a Christian confessing his faith. I think that’s important.”

One theologian complained to him that Muslims get a bad rap in the West as embracing a violent religion. Shenk responded forthrightly, “Some of that critique comes from the actions of some Muslims. We all know that some jihadists are indoctrinated in Muslim schools. Teaching violent jihadism in schools needs to stop.”

Shenk extends this same critique to the Christian church. He said that for many Muslims, the cross has been a symbol of violence toward Muslims ever since the Crusades. Christians are considered a violent community, and there is tragically some basis for this. He notes that in the gospels, the Way of Jesus is presented as the way of peace, yet too many Christians reject this.

“We need to ‘seek peace and pursue it.’ Even when Muslim jihadists confront others as enemies, we need to seek peace. I know of an Indonesian pastor who was able to befriend a jihadist Muslim who had burned churches and had killed people. It took lots and lots of cups of tea – and the Holy Spirit! But now this former jihadist has repented of his ways, and goes into mosques all over the island of Java to urge people to not use violence against Christians.”

Shenk’s meeting with President Ahmadinejad was brief. He gave Ahmadinejad a copy of his book (co-authored with a Muslim) A Muslim and a Christian in Dialogue. In keeping with Shenk’s belief in dialogue, he expressed his desire to assist in furthering the dialogue that the Iranian president has invited President Bush to. Ahmadinejad responded that he would welcome an opportunity for this.

Shenk says, “They invited us to send Anabaptist books to be submitted for translation to be sold around the country so they could learn more about us. Iranian Shiite Muslims are hungry for the cross-fertilization of Christian and philosophical insights.

“I have a profound astonishment that I as an American Christian was welcomed by a couple thousand Muslims to walk among them, share, learn, and confess my faith. My colleagues Gerald and Tom and I felt no animosity, only a deep appreciation for our presence. The American church needs to be more aware of the fact that the broad mainstream of Islam has respect for Christians. When we walk with humility and in the spirit of Christ, the doors that open are amazing!”

In this time of dangerous confrontation between Iran and the U.S., as well as tensions and even hostility between the West and Islam, Shenk illustrates an approach to engagement that is both respectful and uniquely authentic to the foundational principles of Christianity. We in the West are faced with the test of which way we will follow.

Kenton Glick
EMM media producer

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