Jay Smith (Christian apologist)

Jay Smith
Born 1954 (age 60–61)
India
Nationality United States
Education B.A. Messiah College
M.Div. Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary
M.A Fuller Theological Seminary
Occupation Christian apologist
Religion Christian
Website http://www.debate.org.uk/videos/

Jay Smith (born 1954)[1] is a Christian evangelist and apologist. Since 1983, he has been a full-time missionary with the Brethren in Christ Mission with a focus on polemics and apologetics among the Muslims of London.

Biography

Smith was born in India to Church of the United Brethren in Christ missionaries. His grandparents were also missionaries.[1] He earned a B.A. from Messiah College and then a masters of Divinity from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary in apologetics.[2][3][1] In 1981, while studying for his masters, he took a seminar on Islam and noting that there were only 1,500 Christians administering to Muslims worldwide, he decided to become a missionary to the Muslim world and pursued a second Masters degree in Islamic studies from Fuller Theological Seminary.[1] In 1987, he moved to Senegal as a missionary and in 1992, he moved to London[1] where he continued his education working on a Ph.D at the London School of Theology.[4][5] In 2001, he halted his education to concentrate on apologetics following a series of Islamic terrorist attacks[1] (see the September 11 attacks, the 2002 Bali bombings; the 2002 Moscow theater hostage crisis, the 2004 Beslan school siege, the 2004 Madrid train bombings, and the 7 July 2005 London bombings). In 2007, he continued working on his Phd at the Melbourne School of Theology.[1] Smith heads up the Hyde Park Christian Fellowship which emphasizes the use of Polemics with Muslims over Apologetics; and is often seen at Speakers Corner in Hyde Park, London.[1]

Smith believes that although both Islam and Christianity include radicals, moderates, and liberals, it is radical Muslims that commit violence as they take the Qur’an seriously; while radical Christians who also take the Bible seriously serve others in love. Radical Muslims model their lives on Muhammad; while radical Christians model their lives on Jesus Christ.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Apologetics315: "Apologist Interview: Jay Smith" April 11, 2011
  2. ↑ Apologetics Central: "Jay Smith" retrieved March 15, 2015
  3. ↑ Christianity Today: "Plus: Deconstructing Islam - Apologist Jay Smith takes a confrontational approach" by Stan Guthrie September 9, 2002
  4. ↑ Eurasian College: "Visiting Lecturers- Jay Smith" retrieved March 15, 2015
  5. ↑ Christianity Today: "Unapologetic Apologist - Jay Smith confronts Muslim fundamentalists with fundamentalist fervor" by Deann Alford June 13, 2008
  6. ↑ Calvary Magazine: "Confronting Radical Islam - Jay Smith was a featured speaker at the Calvary Chapel Missions Conference 2010" 2010

External links

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