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My late wife, Shirley Winnifred Madany (née Dann), passed away in August 2008. Before we were married in 1953, Shirley was secretary to the editor of The Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg is the capital of the Canadian Province of Manitoba.

Working on a daily editorial each weekday was her main assignment. She did book reviews as well. The following is the text of an article she wrote a few decades ago, which I find quite relevant for our time.

“When it comes to robust health and communicable diseases, we have made great strides. Young families are no longer faced with the threats of measles, chicken pox, mumps, and polio, or the dreaded smallpox. We are insistent on the use of immunizations at an early age. Flu epidemics may still make inroads on school populations, but the elderly are encouraged and offered suitable “shots” each fall to ward off whatever flu virus may be expected.

“Good health is guarded by careful preventative measures. But how much thought do we give to building up our spiritual immunity against false and misleading information? Tolerance of all kinds of opinions, cultural and political, is accepted.

“As Christianity in Western Europe and the United Kingdom is in decline, Muslim immigrants are settling in these lands with an agenda — to spread Islam, making them part of Daru’l Islam. Rather than learning about the history of Islam and its global conquests, we are being desensitized by television programs that advertise a rosy and tolerant view of Islam.

“For example, a Public Broadcasting System (PBS) telecast, “Islam: Empire of Faith” paints a glamorous view of the Islamic Futuhat (Conquests.) The Irony is that the show was aired before and after the horrific events of 9/11, as if their perpetrators had landed from outer space!

“Here is another example of a total lack of cultural “immunity” one finds in the use in American Public Schools (Grade 7) of a textbook published by Houghton Mifflin, “Across the Centuries.”

“While studying Islam, Grade 7 students are learning about an Islam that never existed. They are given assignments to write about going to Mecca on the hajj – to mention what countries they would have to travel through. Another assignment was to write a journal as if they were a Muslim soldier on their way to conquer Syria! The textbook endorses the key articles of the Islamic faith. Can you imagine Christianity being given such an opening in public schools?

“Islam is on the march. World conquest is a natural part of the Islamic thrust. Already it is the third religion in many European countries, while in France it has become the second.”

Postscript

My late wife wrote that article before her passing in 2008, reflecting contemporary world conditions. Since then, the march of history has accelerated, especially after the Islamic Republic of Iran entered the fray in the Middle East. A new situation surfaced on the 7th of October 2023, when Israel experienced an existential attack from the radical organization HAMAS. The nomenclature is quite revealing, Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyah (The Islamic Resistance Movement) is no longer the mild-sounding PLO (Palestine Liberation Organisation).

I end by quoting from the Summer 2024 issue of the Middle East Quarterly:

The Iran-Israel War and the Clash of Civilizations

“CIA Director William J. Burns has declared that the "key to Israel's—and the region's—security is dealing with Iran. The Iranian regime has been emboldened by the crisis and seems ready to fight to its last regional proxy, all while expanding its nuclear program and enabling Russian aggression." [1] Hamas' invasion of Israel is part of a broad attack by Iran and its proxies. How does the war on Israel fit into the Islamic Republic of Iran's regional and global goals?”

Introduction

John Calvin greatly influenced anglophone (English-speaking) Protestant worship by making the Psalms the unique source of praise. This practice became the tradition of the Church of Scotland, where the Psalter was sung a cappella. That was followed in the Presbyterian churches elsewhere. In the Church of England and the Anglican churches abroad, the Psalter was chanted somewhat in monotone, reminiscent of Gregorian chants.

Early in the nineteenth century, anglophone Protestants began using Hymns in their worship services. Most of the credit goes to John Newton. The following excerpts are based on the information provided by https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Newton:

“Newton was born to a devout… mother and a father who was a merchant ship captain. His mother died… when Newton was almost 7 years old, and by age 11, he was accompanying his father on sea voyages. At age 18, he was pressed into service with the Royal Navy… Newton later served as a sailor aboard several ships involved in [the slave trade].

“Although the Christian instruction from his mother stayed with him, Newton had largely abandoned the faith of his childhood until March 10, 1748, when he felt the first stirrings of a renewal of faith in God while steering a near-foundering ship through a fierce storm. …Newton continued working as a trader of enslaved persons and captained three voyages trafficking captive Africans to the West Indies… In 1754 poor health forced him to find a new occupation.

“Back on land, Newton… became an ordained Church of England clergyman in 1764. He accepted a post as a curate at a church in Olney, Buckinghamshire. Newton took his duties seriously, preaching tirelessly to his large poor congregation. In 1767 the poet William Cowper settled in Olney… Together they wrote the Olney Hymns (1779), which contains 68 hymns by Cowper and 280 by Newton.”

Newton authored “Amazing Grace,” “Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken,” “How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds,” and William Cowper composed “God Moves in a Mysterious Way.”

"As his faith matured, Newton’s remorse over his involvement in the slave trade surfaced and galvanized him. In 1785, he met with William Wilberforce and counseled him to remain in politics rather than pursue a religious life. Newton would remain a spiritual mentor for the prominent abolitionist for the next 20 years. In 1787, Newton helped Wilberforce found the Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade, more commonly called the Anti-Slavery Society.”

As part of his ministry at Olney, John Newton, with the financial help of his wealthy friend and supporter, John Thornton of London, increased the number of services on Sundays and during the week. Some of these meetings were held near the Church, where he used some of the Olney Hymns for praise. (It is to be noted that in the official services on Sundays, which were held in the sanctuary, only the chanted Psalms could be used.)

As Newton’s popularity grew, he received several calls to service in prominent parts of England. He left the Church of St Peter and St Paul at Olney in 1780 to serve as Rector of St Mary Woolnoth, Lombard Street, London, where he officiated until his death on 21 December 1807. His 25 years of service at a prestigious Anglican church in London, where the Olney Hymns were sung, paved the way for the normalization of hymn-singing beyond the Church of England, impacting anglophone Protestant churches everywhere.

Furthermore, it spurred the composition of hymns by Anglican clergymen like Reginald Heber (21 April 1783 – 3 April 1826), who served as the first Bishop of Calcutta, India. He authored several hymns such as “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty,” “From Greenland Icy Mountains,” and “Brightest and Best of the Sons of the Morning.”

Catherine Winkworth (13 September 1827-1 July 1878) was the daughter of Henry Winkworth, of Alderley, near Manchester, England. Her knowledge of German enabled her to translate several hymns into English. These are some of the Hymns she translated: “Praise to Lord, the Almighty,” “Now Thank We All Our God,” “Comfort Ye My People,” “From Heaven Above, I Come to You,” “Jesus Priceless Treasure,” “God that Madest Earth and Heaven,” and “Out of the Depth I Call to Thee.”

Another prolific hymnwriter was the English Congregational minister, Isaac Watts (17 July 1674 – 25 November 1748). He authored historic hymns, like “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,” “Joy to the World,” and “Our God, Our Help in Ages Past”.

Charles Wesley (18 December 1707-29 March 1788) wrote over 6,000 hymns during his lifetime, many of which are still sung in churches worldwide. Here are some of his familiar hymns: "And Can It Be That I Should Gain?" "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today," “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus," "Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies," "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," "Jesus, Lover of My Soul," "Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending," "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling," “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing," and "Rejoice, the Lord is King."

While the list of anglophone hymn writers included not just John Newton, but four other writers, it was Newton who took the initiative of composing hymns that were instrumental in ending the exclusive Psalmody in the Churches of the worldwide Anglican Communion, as well as the Church of Scotland and the worldwide Presbyterian Churches.

The changes in the conduct of worship services that took place in anglophone Protestantism impacted the young churches of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. During the Church Year, they celebrate in their native languages with hymns translated from anglophone sources.

I can never forget hearing the Arabic version, “O Sacred Head Now Wounded,” sung during the Good Friday service, at the Evangelical Church in Beirut, Lebanon!

Introduction

Following the end of WWII, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and other Western European countries sought to revive their industries, aided by the United States’ Marshall Plan. The lack of a labor force prompted them to welcome workers from Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.

Initially, the plan was that the guest workers would eventually return to their homelands. That didn’t happen; and before too long, their families joined them. The demographic scene altered radically, with new social and religious factors impacting European societies.

Christian churches faced the challenge of proclaiming the Gospel to their new neighbors. A German parish priest took up the task of bringing the Good News to his Muslim neighbors. He wrote a book about the challenge of Christian missions to Muslims in Germany. A summary was posted on the website of the French Catholic organization: Jésus Le Messie - Le forum (jesus-messie.org).

The following are translated excerpts from his book.

“I don't remember receiving any teaching about Islam, during my theological studies. I had general and vague information about the subject. Having been a priest for a few years in my parish, a Catholic discussion group asked me to give a lecture on Islam.

“One Sunday, during the celebration of the Mass, I noticed a foreign-looking gentleman among the worshippers. Following the Mass, I sat down with him on one of the back benches. He took a German translation of the Qur'an out of his pocket and gave it to me! He turned out to be a Muslim missionary who had come from Braunschweig, an hour's drive away. What an astonishing commitment!

“How I wish there existed a similar commitment among Christians, to bring the Gospel to the Muslims in Germany!

“I visited West Africa several times and found its culture strongly impacted by Islam. During my stay in Conakry, the capital of Guinea, I visited the largest mosque in Sub-Saharan Africa. It was built in 1982 under President Ahmed Sékou Touré, with help from Saudi Arabia, and accommodated 2,500 women and 10,000 men.

“In 2014, I met a young girl in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, who had converted from Islam to Catholicism. She went through a three-year preparation for baptism. In Africa, candidates for baptism must come to catechism every week for three years. The girl told her parents that she was attending an adult education center. It was only at the end of her studying the Catechism, that she told her parents that she wanted to be baptized. At first, she met strong disapproval from the family. Eventually, her parents relaxed their opposition. She was baptized taking Gertrude as her name.

“Having grown in my knowledge of Islam, I wrote a book on Missions to Muslims. It was published in German, Arabic, French and English. Here are the main points of my book:

The Primacy of Grace

“There is a notion that conversions depend on our own skills and initiatives. But we must remember the primary role of God in the process of conversion, as our Lord Jesus Christ said, ‘I have sent you to reap what you have not worked for, others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.’ John 4:38

“Quite often, it seemed that my efforts bore little or no visible fruit. And then, suddenly, unexpectedly, a harvest moment arrives. A high school student surprised me by asking me to baptize her. She wasn’t a Muslim, but the daughter of unbaptized parents in an extremely secular environment.

“The Muslim converts I was preparing for baptism were called by God, not by me. My role was to cooperate with the grace that God had given. This is explicitly taught by our Lord Jesus Christ in John 6:44, ‘No one can come to me except the Father who sent me draws him.”

Our Cooperation with Grace

“St. Paul set forth the process by which conversions take place in his Letter to the Romans 10:13,14:

“For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent?

“It’s a sad fact that in much of the Catholic Church, Christ's mission to proclaim the Gospel is dormant. This topic is addressed in a book by Father Henri Boulad.ⁱ (See endnote for details)

“Furthermore, there is widespread naivety about fanatical Islam. For example, in our small town, some kilometers walk from my home, lived a 20-year-old Iraqi man who was arrested on November 2023 in Lower Saxony, for planning to attack a Christmas market. Then, on April 12, two teenagers were arrested in North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg for planning attacks on Christians and police officers.

“In his book ‘Lord, Stay with Us,’ Cardinal Robert Sarah, the impressive African shepherd, wrote:

“‘The best Europe should offer the world is its identity, its civilization deeply irrigated by Christianity. Instead, Europe offers Muslims, irreligion, and unfettered consumerism? Is it any wonder, that young Muslims take refuge in Islamic fundamentalism?

“The tragic fact is that at present, Europeans are ashamed of their Christian heritage. Immigrants, after settling in Europe, end up despising it, because they do not discover anything sacred in it."

Islamist Terrorists have been in Europe for several Generations

"Many of the Islamist terrorists have been in Europe for several generations. They are children of the consumer society. Disoriented by European nihilism, they throw themselves into the arms of radical Islamism.

“The causes of terrorism are largely religious. We can only combat this phenomenon by offering young people from immigrant backgrounds a real spiritual perspective. Who will have the courage to propose to them a Europe proud of its Christian heritage? Who will invite them to embrace an identity that is based on Christian morality and values? The evangelization of young Europeans of Muslim origin should be a pastoral priority. They expect us to give a clear and firm testimony. But, in the name of a misunderstood interreligious dialogue, we are pusillanimous and timid in proclaiming Christ.”

Concrete and specific Needs

“The Catholic philosopher Ferdinand Ulrich, who died in 2020, told me that during the student riots of '68, a Communist student leader came to see him at the University of Regensburg and questioned him about the content of his lectures: ‘So, what you are saying here is exactly what we want. But I must ask you now: do you know people who live as you say? Then I would go to that place.’

“But the professor didn't know where to send the young man. It’s often our distress. What do we do when someone comes to us and says, ‘I have read the gospel. Where can I find people who are living what I have read? Where can I join them?’ Praise God there are many strong believers and loving Christians in our parishes. But it is difficult to show those who are looking for places where the Gospel is being lived in small communities; where it is not only studied but practiced. Such places exist, but there are too few of them. Where they would be welcomed and accepted in an authentic Christian community that is not closed in on itself?

“I would like to quote here another great cardinal of our time: Willem Jacobus Eijk of Utrecht. In his book of interviews with Andrea Galli, he expressed himself as follows: ‘The Gospel must be proclaimed to all the inhabitants of this world. However, to evangelize the world again, the Church must also put her own house in order.’

“According to him, these lessons must be drawn from the painful experience of the almost total collapse of church life in the Netherlands in the 1960s and 1970s. First, there is a need for instruction that leads to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Secondly, an unambiguous teaching that does not put water in the wine of the Gospel.”

God’s grace is given when He wills, to whom He wills, and how He wills

“He loves all men. He loves our Muslim neighbors. We Christians must not regard them with suspicion and as strangers, but above all as people loved by God. In this love, we must not deprive them of the Gospel, which has been entrusted to us without any merit on our part. Because of the great crisis of the church and the state of our society, this enterprise may seem to us impossible. But our goal is not primarily numerical success. It is a question of bearing fruit. Jesus said, ‘He who abides in me, and I in him, he bears much fruit.’ (John 15:5) ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.’ (Matthew 9:37)

“It’s wonderful that this Forum took place, and for the first time in Germany. I want to thank the couple Xavier and Anne Alloy and all the others for their great commitment. May God make this commitment bear fruit for His glory and the salvation of souls. Thank you for your attention.”

Postscript

The information in the end note refers to a little-known phenomenon that impacted the lives of several Christian families in Syria and Lebanon, during the nineteenth century. Taking advantage of opportunities for work in Egypt, they moved there. The Jirjis Zayden, an Orthodox Christian family from Beirut, established a publication company in Cairo, including the daily Al-Ahram, a weekly pictorial magazine, Al-Musawar, and a monthly journal, Al-Hilal, with literary, political, and historical articles. Growing up in the Levant, I appreciated reading vowelled Arabic Children’s Stories published by this institution.

ⁱ According to Wikipedia: Henri Boulad, SJ (Egyptian Arabic: هنرى بولاد; 28 August 1931 – 14 June 2023) was an Egyptian-Hungarian priest in the Jesuit order, author, and commentator who lived in Egypt. He was a member of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. Henri Boulad was born in Alexandria, Egypt on 28 August 1931. His father came from a Syrian Christian family originally from Damascus, but settled in Egypt in 1860. The Boulad family belongs to the old Damascene bourgeoisie and has produced many clerics including Father Abdel Massih (Damascus) and Father Antoune Boulad (Monastery of the Holy Savior, Lebanon).