Steve Chalke, pastor and founder of the Oasis charity, has told Christian Today he believes parts of Islamic theology better reflect God’s character than some Christian teaching.
In an interview to coincide with the release of his new book Radical, Chalke explained how he had come to the conclusion “Muslims and Christians worship the same God”.
Within Christianity there are vastly different interpretations of God, Chalke said, citing issues such as human sexuality, women bishops and speaking in tongues on which he disagrees with some other Christians.
“As individuals we all worship different shades of the same God,” he told Christian Today.
“There are Christians who worship a militant, violent God. There are Christians who worship a God who doesn’t want women in leadership. There are Christians who worship a God who says if you are gay you will burn in hell. There are Christians who worship a God who does not believe in global warming.”
He added: “I don’t separate from them even though they have a very different take on God’s character from me.”
He cited the theologian Miroslav Volf, who took a similar line in his book Allah: A Christian Response.
Chalke went on to describe certain elements of Islamic belief such as the theology of ummah or community, which he found “very attractive”.
“I know some emphases in Islamic teaching come closer to the teaching of Christ and the Bible than some teaching in Western churches,” he said.
A Center of Christian-Muslim Engagement for Peace and Justice: 