Religion / Theology Reaching Out to Communities

Religion / Theology

Reaching out to communities and cultures that have not embraced Christianity is what God wants Christians to do. On this page references that describe the people and history of the country of Tunisian -- with its Arab community described and evaluated in terms of political and cultural history -- will be presented as a preface to a plan on page 2. Thesis: Scripture calls for all Christian believers to "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation" (Mark 16:15); hence it is our duty to take the Word of Christ to Tunisia, bringing Saving Grace to Tunisia.

Bilgin, Feridun. 2012. The Ottoman-Spanis Struggle for Sovereignty Over Tunisia (16th

Century). Electronic Journal of Social Sciences. 12 (Winter): 181-201.

Bishku, Michael B. 2013. "Is It An Arab Spring or Business as Usual? Recent Changes in the Arab World in Historical Context." Journal of Third World Studies, XXX 55-57.

Ennafaa, Hajer, Amor, Mohamed Ben, Yacoubi-Loueslati, Besma, Khil, Hussein Khodjet El,

Gonzalea-Perez, Emili, Moral, Pedro, Maca-Meyer, Nicole, and Elgaaied, Amel. 2006.

Alu polymorphisms in Jerba Island population (Tunisia): Comparative study in Arab and Berber groups. Annals of Human Biology 33 (Oct/Nov-Dec): 634-640.

Lower, Michael. 2009. Ibn al-Lihyani: sultan of Tunis and would-be Christian convert (1311-

18). Mediterranean Historical Review 24 (June): 17-27.

Maddy-Weitzman, Bruce. 2011. Tunisia's Morning After. Middle East Quarterly. 18 (Summer):

11-17.

Megahed, Nagwa, and Lack, Stephen. 2011. Colonial legacy, women's rights and gender-educational inequality in the Arab World with particular reference to Egypt and Tunisia.

International Review of Education 57 (August): 397-418.

O'Donnell, Dean. 1979. Lavigerie in Tunisia: The Interplay of Imperialist and Missionary.

Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press.

Tolbert, Jane. 2009. Ambiguity and Conversion in the Correspondence of Nicholas-Claude

Fabri de Peiresc & Thomas D'Arcos, 1630-1637. Journal of Early Modern History 13

1-24.

Abstract

Much has been written and said about the "Arab Spring" uprisings in the Middle Eastern countries, and in that context Tunisia is considered the flash point. Tunisia is today a country that appears to be open for a spiritual as well as political transition. Tunisia received its independence from France in 1956, but future rulers were authoritarian and corrupt, hence there has been instability in this country of 10.7 million, 98% of whom are Arab and Sunni Muslim (Bishku, 2013, 57). There are four "distinct ethnic groups" in Tunisia: Arabs, Berbers, "dark-skinned people of sub-Saharan origin, and Jews" (Ennafaa, et. Al, 2006). The economy in Tunisia had been forecast to experience 5.4% growth; however the finance minister (Jalloul Ayed) announced a new forecast of just 1% growth, hence the need for a revitalized government approach to the economy (Maddy-Weitzman).

Women's rights have been part of the basis for the Arab uprisings against authority, and although the Holy Bible (in particular the Old Testament) makes women second-class citizens, and issues decrees against women teaching or speaking in church, in Tunisia (Megahed, et al., 2011) an upgrading of the status of women is part of the agenda for change, and modern Christians fully accept and promote the concept of gender-educational equality (Megahed, 57). To wit, women in Tunisia reportedly have "the highest rate of female literary… in the Arab world" (Maddy-Weitzman, 2011).