This unique, one day seminar explains Islam, exposes its fundamental principles, and offers a unique prayer ministry approach to experiencing freedom from fear, and boldness to witness to Christ.  These sessions have been taught more than 40 times, in Australia, Asia, Africa, North America, and Europe.  They have a proven ability to impact participants profoundly, giving them world-view resources to engage with Islam, and find effective strategies for a vital Christian witness.

Mark Durie is a trained researcher, and the information he presents is uniquely selected and presented to help participants understand and engage with Islam.  This is not second-hand information, but is based on research into primary sources, much of which has been translated for the first time by Dr. Durie and his team.  What is contained in this seminar is not readily available from other sources.  Even those who have been involved in ministry to Muslims for decades have found Dr. Durie's seminars revelatory and deeply impacting.

Topics

Understanding Islam (90 minutes)

This provides an empowering and illuminating explanation of how Islam works as a system, including key concepts such as the Quran, the example of Muhammad, and Sharia.

Do We Worship the Same God? (30 minutes)

An innovative explanation of the differences between Allah as portrayed in the Koran and Yahweh of the Bible, including a review of 'isa, the Muslim Jesus.

Overcoming Rejection (30 minutes)

Discusses how Muhammad and Jesus responded to rejection.  Through a focus on the cross, this session lays out the spiritual keys for a Christian response to Islam.

Dhimmitude: from Fear to Boldness in Christ (90 minutes + Ministry Time)

This highly impacting and dynamic session is the culmination of the Seminar. It outlines Islam's approach to the treatment of non-Muslims living under Islamic law,  including the intergenerational dhimma covenant of surrender.  The session concludes with a ministry time which provides a well-proven pathway to freedom through affirming the truth, breaking covenants with death and intimidation, and affirming the sovereignty of Christ.

About Dr Mark Durie

Mark Durie completed an Arts Degree with First Class Honours and a University Medal in Germanic Languages and Linguistics.  He gained his PhD in Linguistics from the Australian National University in 1984 with a study of the language of the Acehnese, a Muslim people of Indonesia.  He conducted field research trips in Aceh during the 1980's and 1990's, producing several books, and many research articles. The dialects he documented were among those obliterated by the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004. 

Mark was a visiting researcher at the University of Leiden in 1985, investigating the Dutch Acehnese manuscripts, many of which are concerned with Islamic jihad.  Then he spent two years as a Harkness Fellow in the USA, holding positions as visiting researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of California at Los Angeles and Stanford University.  After coming to Melbourne, Mark became Head of the Department of Linguistics and Language Studies before taking up an Australian Research Council Senior Research Fellowship in the mid 1990's. He was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Humanities in 1991, and awarded an Australian Centennial Medal in 2001 for contributions to linguistics.

After a change in career, Mark now works as the Vicar of St Mary's Anglican Church, Caulfield in Melbourne.  He is a human rights activist, writing and speaking extensively in Australia and internationally on issues relating to freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and the persecution of religious minorities, particularly Christians living under the Islamic sharia.  He speaks across Australia and internationally on Islam.  He also writes on issues related to world missions, interfaith dialogue and religious conflict.  His book Revelation: do we worship the same God? was published by CityHarvest in July 2006 and is into its second edition.  His latest books The Third Choice: Islam, Dhimmitude and Freedom and Liberty to the Captives, appeared in 2010.  They are on understanding Islam, the experience of non-Muslims living under Islamic rule, and how to find spiritual freedom in the face of the challenge of Islam.