The hunger of the Christian reading public for books on Islam seems almost insatiable, which is thoroughly understandable.  There is no issue of more contemporary concern than militant Islam.  Every one, from government leaders to ordinary people in the street, is anxious to understand the true character of Islam.  No question is more pressing than, to what extent is the theology, and consequent practice, of those Muslims who commit acts of violence an expression of true Islam, or to what extent is it a nefarious aberration?
I suspect no book on the topic will be more widely read by Australians than Mosques and Miracles. Already seminars built around this book are being held across the country.  From the few reports I have heard they are well attended and much appreciated.
Stuart Robinson, pastor of a large Baptist church in Melbourne, knows his material very well.  If you want to learn about Islam and are looking for a comprehensive (but neither too detailed nor too technical) overview of the basic beliefs and practises of the religion you could do little better than this book.
The book falls into 3 parts. In section 1, ‘What’s Happening’, Robinson gives an overview of the growing influence of Islam throughout the world, focussing in particular on the UK, Europe, the USA, and Africa.  He includes comments on the progress of Islam in Australia.  The second part of the book outlines the historical origins of Islam, and its basic beliefs and practises.
Finally, Robinson examines the interface between Christianity and Islam, recording in particular the place of dreams and visions in God’s purposes in bringing Muslims to himself.  There is a great deal in this book that both the first-time reader on Islam and the person familiar with the faith will find useful.
There are two traps that we can fall into as we think about the place of contemporary Islam in the West. We can naively dismiss it as a minority religion which will make little impact on our way of life.  Certainly in countries like Australia its numbers are relatively small but, as Robinson points out, the gay and lesbian lobby have demonstrated how a small group in society, deeply committed to its agenda, and politically savvy, can impact immensely the attitudes and governance of a society.
We need to be constantly vigilant about the attempts of some Muslims to exert undue political influence and restrict such things as freedom of speech and the appropriateness and necessity of open and frank discussion of all issues, especially religion.
The other mistake we can make is to be unduly alarmist about the impact of Islam on the world.  The clear impression Robinson leaves us with at the end of his first section is that Islam is not only threatening to exert political influence on the West but is moving inexorably towards world domination.  Certainly, this is the agenda and the rhetoric of a significant number of Muslim leaders.  However, we need to balance such concerns with a wider view of current religious trends.
Take, for example, the USA.  Robinson catalogues the waves of immigrants into America from Islamic countries. Yet the fact remains that today Muslim immigration into the US is far exceeded by the number of immigrants from Christian countries.
According to Philip Jenkins in his fascinating book, The Next Christendom, current demographic trends lead us to believe that 21st century America will be numerically even more Christian than it is at present.  There are good reasons to believe that in Australia, as well, Christianity will see more growth in the next 50 years than Islam.
Mosques and Miracles is worth reading.  It will inform you about Islam.  It will encourage you about what God is doing in the hearts of many Muslim people.  And most importantly it will lead you to pray.

Michael Raiter