New publication explores ‘Identity, Persecution, Pilgrimage and Exile’ among Christ’s followers of Muslim background

A new book, Identity and Vocation of Christian Minority Communities: A Conversation with Religious Sources, explores questions of identity and vocation for Christian minority communities, particularly in the context of Islam. This accessible academic volume brings together contributions from a range of scholars and engages with 1 Peter as a key biblical text for understanding life as a minority community.

Among the contributions is Chapter 5, Identity, Persecution, Pilgrimage, and Exile: The Role of 1 Peter in Shaping the Discipleship Journey of MBBs through the Come Follow Me Course, written by Pat and Parsa from our Hikma team.
The chapter explores the impact of 1 Peter’s teaching on the discipleship journey of Muslim-Background Believers (MBBs) through the Come Follow Me (CFM) course. The authors note that MBBs often experience social, political and religious isolation, and that the course incorporates the themes of identity, persecution, pilgrimage and exile to help believers navigate these challenges.

Drawing on interviews with five brothers and sisters from Sudan, Somaliland, Pakistan and Yemen, the chapter examines how the CFM course has shaped their discipleship journeys and supported identity formation as followers of Christ. The participants came from a range of backgrounds and contexts, with most having experienced significant persecution and displacement.

One of the chapter’s findings is that the course helped participants understand and develop their identity in Christ. The authors write:
“One of the most significant ways CFM impacted the participants was in shaping their new identity as followers of Christ.”

The chapter also explores how participants engaged with the themes of suffering and persecution found in 1 Peter. For many of those interviewed, persecution and rejection were not theoretical concepts but part of their lived experience. The course helped participants understand suffering as part of the Christian journey and discipleship.
Another recurring theme was the participants’ understanding of God as Father. Ahmed, who ministers among Somali MBBs, reflected:
“Somali Muslims … have 99 names of Allah, but none of them is the Father. So that is really special and tells us that we have this close connection with God.”

Fatima similarly described the impact this had on her faith:
“We feel like we are close to God, because He’s a Father now, not a boss … we didn’t love God before, we just followed Him out of fear.”

The themes of pilgrimage and exile also feature strongly in the chapter. Reflecting on his experience as a refugee, Mohammed explained: “I don’t feel like a refugee in reality … God has called me to this journey.”

The authors conclude by examining how the themes of identity, persecution, pilgrimage and exile found in 1 Peter continue to resonate with MBBs as they navigate life as followers of Christ. Through the experiences of the participants, the chapter offers insights into discipleship, minority identity and Christian pilgrimage in contemporary Muslim-majority contexts.

The book is available free online through the publisher.

Access the book
Identity and Vocation of Christian Minority Communities: A Conversation with Religious Sources
https://bit.ly/44r7IK6 

Learn more about the Come Follow Me discipleship course
http://come-follow-me.org/

Explore Hikma resources:
https://hikmapartnership.org/resources/