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Jay Smith (Christian apologist)

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Jay Smith
Born1954 (age 69–70)
NationalityUnited States
EducationB.A. Messiah College
M.Div. Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary
M.A Fuller Theological Seminary
OccupationChristian apologist
Known forapologetic, polemics, historical critique
Websitehttp://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 ministering 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