Tennessee Church to Host a Free Course on Islam
The classes will start Sunday, Jan. 10, in the fellowship hall of the sanctuary building.
"This will be an excellent opportunity to separate fact from fiction with respect to the beliefs of our Muslim brothers and sisters," said the Rev. Sharon Youngs, church pastor. The lecture-and-discussion course, which will end on Feb. 7, is open to the public.
With about 1.6 billion followers, or 23 percent of the global population, Islam is the second-largest religion (after Christianity) by number of adherents. According to many sources, it's the fastest-growing major religion in the world. Most Muslims are of two denominations: Sunni (75 to 90 percent) and Shia (10 to 20 percent).
The titles of the five classes are "The Origins of Islam and the Life of the Prophet Muhammad [PBUH]"; "The Revelation of the Quran"; "Sunni and Shia Islam"; "The Five Pillars: Practicing the Faith" and "Western Encounters with Islam."
"I am always excited to enter into conversation with folks about Islam," Sherman said. "I think we find ourselves at a difficult moment in our country. The rhetoric about Islam—especially during the current presidential election cycle—is far more intense and robust than our actual knowledge about Islam."
Source: Knox News
