Whatever Happened to Christianity?
A Tafsir for Muslim Scholars and Thinkers
by Fred Farrokh
Imprint: Wipf and Stock
Seventeen times per day, Muslims pray that Allah would keep them from going astray--in the way that Christians have gone astray. But have they?
Rather than portraying Jesus Christ as an imposter who claimed to be divine, Islamic theology presents Jesus as a mortal prophet who served his generation as other prophets did their respective generations. Since Christians believe the biblical narrative that Jesus is Lord, God, and Savior, it is not surprising that the standard Islamic narrative asserts that Christians have gone astray. In fact, if Christians are correct in their beliefs, then the advent of Muhammad, and the religion of Islam itself, are unnecessary to God's cosmic history. This book probes deeply into the extremely urgent--but often unasked--question facing Muslims regarding when, where, and how the main body of Christians may have gone astray.
Fred Farrokh holds an MA in public policy analysis and administration from Binghamton University. He earned a PhD in intercultural studies from Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, with a dissertation on Muslim identity. As a Christian from a Muslim background, he writes in the interfaith locus in which Muslims and Christians interact. He has lived or traveled in all regions of the Muslim world.
“Fred Farrokh has written a very helpful book on a very important topic for Muslim-Christian interactions. Raised in a Muslim home himself, Farrokh has taken up the task of systematically addressing a traditional Islamic claim: that Christians—chiefly led by Paul—have distorted Jesus’ message and deified him despite his own adherence to Tawhid. In this book, Farrokh works through the historical, theological, textual, and traditional aspects of this claim in order to demonstrate that it is a claim in search of evidence.”
—Matthew Bennett, associate professor of missions and theology, Cedarville University
“This brief book takes up the important but under-explored issue of Tahriif, or the conviction of many Muslims that the pre-Quranic revelations to the prophets had been corrupted in the Scripture, especially regarding the messiah. This book, in an irenic and non-sectarian tone, addresses those doubts. Muslims seeking more depth in Muslim-Christian relations will find this book of particular import.”
—Duane Alexander Miller, author of Two Stories of Everything: The Competing Metanarratives of Islam and Christianity
“Have Christians ‘gone astray’? This book considers this question in a gracious and well-informed way. It offers a timely and generous invitation to Muslims everywhere to seek out the ‘straight path’ of God’s favor and to walk upon it. This is a book for all who love the truth and are determined to find it.”
—Mark Durie, director, Institute for Spiritual Awareness
“This scholarly yet readable book provides a fresh look into the claim that Christians have gone astray in their beliefs, a claim that lies at the very heart of Islam’s reason for being. Both Muslims and Christians from a Muslim background can appreciate this evenhanded treatment of this important subject by Fred Frarrokh, a former Muslim. This book is sorely needed in today’s world.”
—Steve Krstulovich, director of research, Global Initiative: Reaching Muslim Peoples
“This book by Fred Farrokh is a superb effort on his part to show that there has been no change in the gospel message from the time of Jesus to the present. It is well-documented and is a needed read for Christians and Muslims who face the Muslim charge that the gospel has been corrupted by Christians.”
—Don McCurry, founding president, Ministries to Muslims
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