An evangelical Christian response to concepts of humanity found in selected Islamic writings

The purpose of this research is to analyze evangelical Christian apologetic implications of the Islamic concept of humanity, as expressed in the formative documents of Islam and selected contemporary Muslim writings.;Three types of primary data are employed in this study. Passages from classical Islamic documents, El Qur'an and el Hadith (The Sayings of the Prophet), are one type of primary data. The writings of Naguib Mahfouz, Gamal Abd al Nasser, and Sayyid Qutb are a second type of primary source. The Christian Bible in its original languages is a third type of primary data.;Historical research methodology is employed in this study. The primary data for the first and second subproblems are contained in Arabic documents. The Arabic passages were located, translated, and critically analyzed. Deviation from the classical position were examined and interpreted as to implications for apologetics.;Three hypotheses were investigated in the study. All three were supported by the research.;First, the study demonstrated that the classical Islamic documents, el Qur'an and el Hadith, contain statements on human nature and purpose. Humanity was created as one family by God. All persons are responsible to obey the Creator. The corporate nature of humanity is expressed in relationships within the family and society. The pattern of Islamic society expands the relational principles found in the family.;Second, research supports the hypothesis that the writings of Naguib Mahfouz, Gamal Abd al Nasser, and Sayyid Qutb express changes in the classical Islamic concept of humanity and that these changes can be discovered.;Mahfouz, Abd al Nasser, and Qutb each ignored content of classical Islamic humanity according to their interests and concerns. Each emphasized one of the three aspects of humanity under study to the detriment of the remaining two aspects.;Finally, the study demonstrated that Islamic views of humanity have implications for evangelical Christian apologetics. Corollaries between evangelical Christian views of humanity were discovered. Principles for effective communication with Muslims were drawn from the writings of Christian workers among Muslims. Apologetic implications of the selected views of Islamic humanity then were framed. Beginning from the human ideals and needs expressed in Muslim writings, an explanation of the person and work of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, was proposed.