5.35 Tony Costa, David Schrock, & Trent Hunter • Interview • “Lost Brothers or Mortal Enemies? A History of Islam’s Teaching on Christianity”

Episode 232
67 Min
July 2, 2026
ABOUT THE EPISODE
Listen in as David and Trent interview Tony Costa on his COA Longform: "Lost Brothers or Mortal Enemies?: A History of Islam's Teaching on Christianity"
Sponsor

This month, we’re talking about how Christians engage with Islam, a conversation Southern Seminary has taken seriously for a long time. As President Al Mohler has put it, you can’t prepare a minister for today’s world without reckoning with Islam. That conviction is why Southern now offers a PhD in Islamic Studies, and why it’s home to the Jenkins Center, a team devoted to helping pastors, missionaries, and everyday believers reach their Muslim neighbors with the gospel. To find resources and learn more about degrees, visit sbts.edu/islamicstudies. And be sure to listen to our interview with Dr Ayman Ibrahim, who is the head of the Jenkins Center.

Timestamps
  • 00:41 – Intro
  • 03:20 – Examining Muhammad’s Role and Christian Rejection
  • 09:32 – Analyzing the Quran’s Gnostic Connections and Distorted Narratives
  • 18:13 – Unpacking th Quran’s Variants and Historical Inaccuracies
  • 26:33 – Understanding Abrogation and Muslim Migration to the West
  • 31:17 – Navigating Ministry Challenges with Muslim Migrants
  • 37:19 – Defining Terms and Learning about Islam for Gospel Outreach
  • 44:36 – Responding to Islam’s Political Aims and Sharia Law
  • 56:27 – Asking the Crucial Question: Do You Have Assurance?
Resources to Click
Books to Read
ON THIS EPISODE

Authors

  • Tony Costa earned a B.A. and M.A. in biblical studies from the University of Toronto, and earned his Ph.D in New Testament and Theology from Radboud University in the Netherlands. He teaches as an Instructor with the University of Toronto in the areas of Gospel Studies, Apocalyptic Texts and the Book of Revelation, and Archaeology of the Bible and the Ancient Near East. He is the author of Worship and the Risen Jesus in the Pauline Letters and Early Christian Creeds and Hymns and his most recent book No King but Christ: The Collapse and Bankruptcy of Secular Worldviews. Tony is also an ordained Minister of the Gospel and is the pastor of Park Lawn Baptist Church in Toronto. He is happily married, has 3 children, and 2 grandchildren, and lives in Toronto, Canada.

    View all posts
  • David Schrock is the pastor for preaching and theology at Occoquan Bible Church in Woodbridge, Virginia. David is a two-time graduate of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is a founding faculty member and professor of theology at Indianapolis Theology Seminary. And he is the author of Royal Priesthood and Glory of God along with many journal articles and online essays.

    View all posts
  • Trent Hunter is the pastor for preaching and teaching at Heritage Bible Church in Greer, South Carolina. Trent is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author of Graphical Greek, an electronic reference guide for biblical Greek, Joshua in Crossway's Knowing the Bible series, and is co-author of Christ from Beginning to End: How the Full Story of Scripture Reveals the Full Glory of Christ. Trent is an Instructor for the Charles Simeon Trust Workshops on Biblical Exposition.

    View all posts