by Cindy Crossley

(London, UK) This summer saw the publishing of 5 significant theological books which will help Arabic church leaders. The Arabic Global Christian Library consists of 5 titles including: Evangelical Truth, Hope for the World, The Human Condition, A Time for Mission and The Bible and Other Faiths.This has been an ambitious project funded by The Langham Partnership and undertaken by Dar El Thaqafa Communications House. It will not only affect the material read by laymen but will also make a significant contribution to the theological discussion amongst Arab Christian leaders and pastors in the Middle East as they engage with their local cultures.

Today, roughly 10% of the population in Egypt is Christian, the majority belonging to the Coptic Orthodox Church. There is approximately half a million Christian Protestants experiencing persecution and needing leaders who are well equipped to handle the adverse situation faced by Christians today. In most of these issues faced in the Arab world, the strong evangelical vision is absent on both the theological and societal levels. Therefore, issuing and distributing books tackling these issues to theology students, scholars and a number of influential church leaders in the Arab world will help them adopt a new Christian vision which will help to develop their theological understanding. These books may also initiate debates around the issues they tackle in churches and church activities.

The Global Christian Library will be offered to the public at very low prices as well as being distributed to 500 known theology students and theologians in order to equip them with theological materials that would in turn raise their theological awareness and thereby contribute to their theological understanding.