Alan Guenther, PhD

Assistant Professor of History

Teaching Philosophy

I see my role as a teacher to be that of a facilitator of the student's education. I seek to stimulate the students' to desire to learn, and then to enable them to discover truths on their own.

Background

Alan's interest in the history of Islam is based initially on the four years he lived in Pakistan from 1988 to 1992 while serving as a missionary with The Evangelical Alliance Mission (TEAM). Upon returning from Pakistan, he pursued academic studies at the Institute of Islamic Studies at McGill University in Montreal, completing both his graduate degrees there. The focus of his research has been the historical development of the Muslim communities in British India in the late 19th century as well as the interaction of Muslims with Christian missionaries in that time period. Since 2006, he has had the opportunity to teach courses not only on the history of Islam, but also on the history of Christianity more broadly at Briercrest College and Seminary in his home province of Saskatchewan.

Education

PhD Islamic Studies, McGill University, 2005
MA Islamic Studies, McGill University, 1998
Undergraduate studies Political Science, McGill University 1994-1995
BRE, Briercrest Bible College, 1987
Bachelor of Biblical Studies, Prairie Bible Institute, 1983

Research

History of Muslims in India in the modern era
Muslim law in British India
Christian-Muslim relations in South Asia
History of Evangelical Christianity
History of Methodist movements
Methodist hymnody in the 19th century

Publications

• Globalization of Methodist Hymnody. Wesley and Methodist Studies 14, no. 2 (2022): 117-145.
• "Justice Mahmood and the Administration of Muslim Law in British India.” In Oxford of the East: Aligarh Muslim University, 1920-2020, Centenary Commemorative Volume. Edited by Juhi Gupta and Abdur Raheem Kidwai, 71-89. New Delhi: Viva Books, 2021.
• Ghazals, Bhajans, and Hymns: Hindustani Christian music in nineteenth century North India.” Studies in World Christianity 25, no. 2 (2019): 145-165
• “Defining Muslims on the Afghan Frontier: T. P. Hughes and his Dictionary of Islam.” Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations 29 (2018): 5-20.
• “Christians and Muslims in Mughal India.” Routledge Handbook on Christian-Muslim Relations, edited by David Thomas, 227-238. Abingdon: Routledge, 2018.
• “The Hadith in Christian-Muslim Dialogue in 19th century India.” The Character of Christian-Muslim Encounter: Essays in Honour of David Thomas, ed. Douglas Pratt, et al., 264-287. Leiden: Brill, 2015.
• “The arrival of European Christians in India during the 16th century.” Christian-Muslim Relations: A Bibliographical History, vol. 7, Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa and South America (1500-1600), ed. David Thomas and John Chesworth, 15-25.
• History of Christian-Muslim Relations, ed. David Thomas, et al., no. 24. Leiden: Brill, 2015.
• “Justice Mahmood and English Education in India.” South Asia Research 31 (Feb. 2011): 45-67.
• “Christian Responses to Ahmad Khan’s Commentary on the Bible.” Comparative Islamic Studies 6, nos. 1-2 (2010): 67-100.
• “Seeking Employment in the British Empire: Three Letters from Rajah Gobind Ram Bahadur.” Fontanus: From the Collections of McGill University 12 (2010): 129-154.
• “A Colonial Court Defines a Muslim.” Islam in South Asia in Practice, ed. Barbara D. Metcalf, 293-304. Princeton Readings in Religions, ed. Donald S. Lopez, Jr. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2009.