Near Death Experiences / Interview / Muḥammad pt. 8 / Faith Rewired

Good morning from England!

A few days ago I joined a fascinating webinar, sponsored by the American Scientific Affiliation. It was “Near Death Experiences and the Mystery of Consciousness.” The speaker, Jeffery Long, has studied thousands of NDEs over the past 25 years. Not only was the webinar interesting; it also highlighted compelling evidence for the afterlife and the existence of the soul. If you’re interested in this topic, you might want to visit nderf.org.

Also in this newsletter:

• The middle section of my recent interview with Malcolm Cox.

• Part 8 of my notes on Muḥammad’s biography: the Prophet’s stance towards Jews and Christians.

• We have a winner for the free tour of the Seven Churches (Global Smyrna Meeting)!

• Also, I’d like to recommend a new website from Australian teacher Andrew Kitchen!  Andrew is a kind and brilliant man of God, excellent student of Scripture, and independent thinker. His website is called Faith Rewired.

INTERVIEW (part 2 of 3)

The interview with British minister and friend Malcolm Cox continues. This is the middle section of the interview.

MC: When did your faith journey begin? Could you share a bit about how and when you became a Christian?

DJ: My faith journey started early. Growing up, my family attended church regularly—Episcopalian—which helped plant the seeds of faith and got me thinking about the transcendence of God. During confirmation classes, I felt my curiosity growing, but it wasn’t until a bit later that I encountered Christians who were truly vocal and passionate about their faith. It was during my time in college that I realized I could take ownership of my faith. Only one day into university—I was barely 18—two of the brothers invited me to a group Bible discussion, and I said yes. I was baptized at a Church of Christ in Durham, North Carolina, in the fall semester of 1977. Since then, my relationship with Christ has been a continual and transformative process, and it still shapes my life today.

MC: Was evangelism easy for you?

DJ: It started almost immediately after my baptism! Once I got back to my dorm, I knocked on doors to tell other students about my baptism and ask if they had been baptized (I know—quite subtle!). Door-knocking became one of my favorite ways to evangelize. Over time, however, my approach became more relational rather than simply “cold contact.” So yes, I suppose evangelism was easy for me, though that doesn’t mean I was always free of anxiety or that I didn’t “chicken out” sometimes. It’s not always easy to discern when to speak and when to be silent (Ecclesiastes 3:7).

MC: What difficulties in your life have shaped your character and built resilience?

DJ: One significant challenge was losing my scholarship at Duke. It was a tough moment, but in hindsight, it was an opportunity in disguise. Wise friends encouraged me to fight for it, so I worked hard to get it back, which meant taking two extra courses and earning As. One of the benefits of the scholarship was a study term at Oxford, which was an incredible experience. It was also my first time leaving North America. That experience ignited a passion for travel and learning that continues today. This setback in 1979 ultimately led to tremendous growth, just as a deserved reprimand from my Latin teacher in 1971 became a turning point in my life.

I also owe much of my resilience to Christian mentors and leaders who pushed me beyond my comfort zone in areas like relationships, public speaking, and outreach. Last year, I completed a 40-week resiliency training program that proved extremely beneficial. This year, I’m serving as a co-facilitator for a cohort of men focusing on resilience. A lot of it starts in the mind.

MC: Tell us the story of you and Vicki. When did you first meet her, and what do you remember about your wedding day?

DJ: We met at Wembley Arena, after the 1983 Women’s Basketball Semifinal. Our first date was two weeks later; two and a half years after that we were married. Our wedding took place at a beautiful and historic church building. It was a rainy day, but sun came out during the ceremony. I was so excited (nervous?) that I ate nothing at the reception. Apart from my parents and brother, the only other person who flew across the Atlantic was a friend of ours, Dr. Jim Miner. It was the first wedding in the London church. Malcolm, I’m sorry I missed your wedding [one week after ours]! We’ll be celebrating our 40th anniversary this summer.

MC: You and Vicki have three children and a dog—or is it the other way around?

DJ: No, you have it right! The “children” are all in their 30s now.

MC: Any other pets? Cats? Fish? What’s the pet family dynamic like?

DJ: Over the years, we’ve had cats, fish, and guinea pigs. (I tell the lamentable story of the deaths of the guinea pigs in our parenting book The Quiver (retitled Principle-Centered Parenting.)

MC: So what is the dog situation? What breeds have you had over the years?

DJ: Growing up, we had a French Poodle, a German Shepherd, and a Cockerpoo. Once I had my own family, the dogs have been Cocker Spaniel, Border Collie mix, and (now) a Bernese Mountain Dog. Darcy is a big dog (40 kg) but has the playful spirit of a puppy. When I tell people about her, I freely admit she’s the best Christian in our family (gracious, forgiving, always joyful and happy to see you). I like to share this prayer: “Lord, help me to be the man my dog thinks I am.” [Sad note: we lost Darcy soon after the time of this interview.]

MC: Many people know you as a writer. How do you see yourself—first and foremost as an author, or something else?

DJ: I see myself first and foremost as a student, always learning. While writing is an important part of my ministry, most of my time is spent in other areas.

MC: You've written quite a few books. Which ones are you particularly proud of, most excited about?

DJ: I’m particularly proud of Origins, Campus Core, Messianic Judaism, and A Quick Overview of the Bible. Thrive and When God is Silent were especially challenging for me, as they required me to dig deep, and to share personally.

MC: Are there any new books on the horizon? Anything in the works that we should look out for?

DJ: The next release is Amen & Amen, slated to be published by BroadStreet Publishers in August. This is a revision of the original Amen (Illumination Publishers). I’m working on a couple of other books, for 2026 or beyond.

MC: Take a guess—how many books do you think you’ve read in your lifetime?  

DJ: I’d estimate around 5000.

MC: Any favorite authors who’ve really influenced you?

DJ: In high school, I loved Kurt Vonnegut. In college, Francis Schaeffer and C. S. Lewis. In the last 30 years, so many writers!—like David Bercot, Paul Copan, Scot McKnight, F. LaGard Smith, and Philip Yancey.

MC: Favourite books in this past year?

DJ: With by Skye Jethani, The Second Mountain by David Brooks, and From Strength to Strength by Arthur C. Brooks. It’s interesting—these books all prioritize relationships over activity and achievement. I also recently finished Solzhenitsyn’s The Gulag Archipelago, which was a tough but thought-provoking read. It’s hard to believe that the Soviet concentration camps were worse than the Nazis'.

MC: What advice would you give to someone hoping to become a Christian writer, YouTuber, or podcaster? What should they be mindful of?

DJ: Writers are readers. Many would-be writers read very little or abandon books halfway through. Read widely and complete what you start. As a speaker, make sure you’re speaking clearly—listen to yourself! Good advice for everyone: just because you have a fresh idea doesn’t mean it’s an original one. Before diving in, see what others have already written or recorded. No need to reinvent the wheel.

MC: You’ve been to Israel quite a few times. I remember the tour we took with you—Penny and I will never forget it. What are your thoughts on the current situation between Israelis and Palestinians?

DJ: Yes, 25 times to Israel, although we’ve canceled three tours recently, for obvious reasons. The current situation is deeply saddening. As my Palestinian friend (and peace activist) Aziz Abu Sarah wisely puts it, “If you’re pro-Palestine, you’re not for peace; if you’re pro-Israel, you’re not for peace.” When we take sides, we will not act in love. That’s a challenging thought, because it’s human nature to conceive of conflicts simplistically, in overly black-and-white terms.

MC: You’re an experienced traveler. How many nations have you visited? Any favorites in terms of beauty or personal connection? And are there still places you’re itching to visit?

DJ: I’ve visited over 130 countries. Some of the most beautiful places I’ve been to are Norway and Switzerland. Three places I’d love to visit are Greenland, Antarctica, and Iran (once the government embraces religious freedom).

MUḤAMMAD’S BIOGRAPHY, VIII:
The People of the Book: Jews & Christians

There were many Christians and Jews in the Arabian Peninsula during Muḥammad’s day, and he recognized them as “People of the Book.” For example, he referred to the Torah, the Gospel. Sometimes he seems to tolerate them, at others to resent them. Following are my observations, with references to their locations in the Sīrat.

Jews

• How Judaism came to be in the Arabian Peninsula (17).

• Perception of Jews: “a treacherous, lying, and evil people” (54).

• The first 500 verses of sūra 2 [the longest chapter in the Q] were given by Allāh in response to the “Jewish rabbis and the hypocrites of Aus and Khazraj” (363).

• Old Testament

  • The Torah predicts the coming of Muḥammad (367—also Ṭ. 1567).

  • Muḥammad was a prophet like Moses (231). See Deut 18.

  • Comparison to Moses, again (899).

  • People complain about a lack of water… Muḥammad prays, and God sends a cloud and ample water. Water from the rock—like Exod 17 (904).

• Some were turned into apes for their sin (369).

• Some Jews claimed hell wasn't infinite (e.g., only a day), whereas in Islam it’s forever (371). Note: prominent Muslim scholar Shabir Ally rejects the Islamic doctrine of eternal torment.

• Speaking to Jews: “You know that I am a prophet who has been sent—you will find that in your scriptures and God’s covenant with you” (545).

• A Jew reads Syriac (124). This was the common language of eastern Jews and Christians.

• “Some of the Jews change words from their contexts and say: We hear and disobey…” (390).

• There is no hint of the common modern Islamic claim that that OT scriptures were corrupted (388). (Nor does the Q teach this.)

• Jews had sinned and broken the covenant (397).

• “Say, ‘O Scripture folk, you have no standing until you observe the Torah and the Gospel and what has been sent down to you from our Lord” (397). These are “Unbelieving people.”

• The apostle said, “I am the first to revive the order of God and His book and to practice it” (395).

• “Then He mentioned the two people of scripture with their evil and their lies against Him until the words ‘Many of the rabbis and the monks devour men’s wealth wickedly and turn men from the way of God. Those who hoard up gold and silver and do not spend it in the way of God, announce to them a painful punishment’” (923).

• At his death Muḥammad had disposed “that two religions should not be allowed to remain in the peninsula of the Arabs” (776, 779). Umar then exiled the Jews and Christians from Arabia (xlv).

• At this time, many Arabs apostatized and Jews and Christians rose up (Ṭ 1834).

• A high tax was imposed on Jews or Christians [and Zoroastrians] when they opted not to become Muslims. This normally took the form a golden dinar or the equivalent in clothes, due annually.

Next week: The biography of Muḥammad vs. the biographies of Jesus. Learn why Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, when compared to the Islamic texts (Qur’an, Hadith, and Sīrat), are more trustworthy.