Jay Smith (Christian apologist)
| Jay Smith | |
|---|---|
 Jay Smith during a debate in Hyde Park, Speakers Corner | |
| Born |
Jay Smith 21st august 1953 India |
| Residence | London |
| Nationality | United States |
| Ethnicity | white/caucasian |
| Education |
B.A. Messiah College M.Div. Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary M.A Fuller Theological Seminary |
| Occupation | Christian apologist |
| Known for | apologetic, polemics, historical critique |
| Religion | Christian |
| Children | 3 |
| Website | http://www.debate.org.uk/videos/ |
Jay Smith (born 1953)[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 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 2010, he continued working on his Phd at the Melbourne School of Theology.[1] Smith heads up the Hyde Park Christian Fellowship which emphasises the use of Polemics with Muslims alongside 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 literally; while radical Christians who also take the Bible literally serve others in love. Radical Muslims model their lives on Muhammad; while radical Christians model their lives on Jesus Christ.[6]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Apologetics315: "Apologist Interview: Jay Smith" April 11, 2011
- ↑ Apologetics Central: "Jay Smith" retrieved March 15, 2015
- ↑ Christianity Today: "Plus: Deconstructing Islam - Apologist Jay Smith takes a confrontational approach" by Stan Guthrie September 9, 2002
- ↑ Eurasian College: "Visiting Lecturers- Jay Smith" retrieved March 15, 2015
- ↑ Christianity Today: "Unapologetic Apologist - Jay Smith confronts Muslim fundamentalists with fundamentalist fervor" by Deann Alford June 13, 2008
- ↑ Calvary Magazine: "Confronting Radical Islam - Jay Smith was a featured speaker at the Calvary Chapel Missions Conference 2010" 2010
External links
- Pfander Films
- Evangelium e Apoligia Ministries The Classical Debates - Jay Smith vs. Dr. Shabir Ally