The Translational (or dynamic equivalence) model is a relatively new approach to mission among Muslims that envisages a “people movement to Christ” that remains within Islam. In view of its increasing following, this paper suggests it is time for an evaluation in depth. It especially faults two theories on which it is based—the ideas that “missionary extractionism” is the main cause of Muslim resistance and that Muslim cultural forms are “neutral vehicles” that one may fill with Christian meanings. These ideas have encouraged younger missionaries to rather extreme experiments. A corrective is therefore proposed: The Betrothal model.
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