Revisiting the C1-C6 Spectrum in Muslim Contextualization

For more than a decade, evangelicals have framed contextualization strategies for ministry to Muslims in terms of the so-called “C1-C6 Spectrum.” The devising of this Spectrum has helped to steer all subsequent discussion and discourse, even being utilized now by North American analysts who are wrestling with issues related to the “emerging church” phenomenon. The higher-end aspects of the Spectrum have created a stir with some evangelicals; they have also contributed to polarizing different Muslim-ministry practitioners. Perhaps these effects have less to do with direct strategy and methodology than they do with the assumptions and mechanics of the Spectrum itself. This article revisits those assumptions and suggests a change in the mechanics of C1-C6, especially regarding the tension between contextualization and traditionalism.