Review of Woman to Woman: Sharing Jesus with a Muslim Friend

Woman to Woman: Sharing Jesus with a Muslim Friend, by Joy Loewen   Forward by Brother Andrew   (Buy)

Chosen Books, January 2010, 208 pages, ISBN 978-0-9483-5

“I believe this book will revolutionize our approaches in reaching the Muslim women with the genuine love of Christ.” – Samuel Naaman, D.Miss., Department of World Missions and Evangelism, Moody Bible Institute, Chicago

“This book is more than delightful - it is a `must read' for men as well as women. Why? If we fail to grasp the message of this book we will never really understand Muslims or their culture at all. So, whatever good books are on your reading list, move this one to the front. It will be worth it!” -Dr. Ed Hoskins, Physician and author of "A Muslim's Heart"

Woman to Woman is a book that primarily uses narrative to show how to help Christian women befriend and share Christ with Muslim women who are living in North America.  The book has a dual purpose; (1) to introduce the reader to the personal lives of Muslim women, and (2) to introduce the reader to a North American woman’s journey of discovering and embracing the lives of Muslim women.  So the book is as much about the author as it is about Muslim women. 

Thankfully, the author Joy Loewen is a shining example of a missional Christ-follower who has more than 30 years experience in Muslim ministry.  Woman to Woman is not a formal treatise on Muslim evangelism, but a series of enjoyable and interesting stories that pauses frequently to explain issues related to the lives of Muslims that average church-goers in America might not understand.  The tone of the book and Joy’s approach towards Muslims is irenic, sensitive, and respectful. 

The intended audience of the book is for those who care about Muslims but who have little or no understanding of non-western culture or the Islamic worldview.  In a time where approximately 20% of Muslim Background Believers (MBBs) in the world are female, more books like this are timely.  (I have heard the most unreached bloc of people on the planet are Muslim women.)

Being of such an introductory nature, I think the book would be more accessible if it were shorter.  I would have also appreciated more discussion around the issues of trying to integrate MBBs into the church, and more examples of contextual witness and church planting.  But again, the book is mainly a first read for a Christian woman who is curious about the Muslim women living around her.  For this kind of reader I recommend Woman to Woman because it could help many “move from fear to love and compassion.”