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Customer Review
Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2023
I’ve read the author’s previous book on Jesus and Muhammad and must say this book also matches that book in level of information. Much of the information in the book is reiterated in this book. Given the current 2023 Israel-Hamas War, I thought it would be a good time to read books regarding the topic. The author has two Doctorates in Islamic and Christian studies so he’s well informed to both. As a ex Muslim and having growing up in Nasser era Egypt, he knows how Arabs feel about the State of Israel and Jews in particular. In the book he argues, using experience, the Quran, and hadiths, that Islamic religion and culture is the main driving force in the Arab conflict and refusal to make peace. And it’s a convincing book.
That said, I will be taking a star off due to two facts. One was the author saying that the Reformation was God punishing the “Roman” Catholic Church by taking away its power. That does not fit with the scriptures saying God desires us to be one. Two he presents the Crusades as morally equivalent to Jihab and does little explanation about the events themselves or why they were fought. (No mention of the Byzantine emperor’s call for aid because of Islamic advances in Anatolia, the Muslim occupation of Spain, or Arab slave raids in the Mediterranean.) I will acknowledge though this book is about 21 years old and the author was educated in an evangelical Protestant university and probably social bubble. Hopefully if he ever does a revised edition, he’ll work on some of the scholarship regard this and writing format.
All in all it’s an easy read and can be finished in two days at an average pace.
That said, I will be taking a star off due to two facts. One was the author saying that the Reformation was God punishing the “Roman” Catholic Church by taking away its power. That does not fit with the scriptures saying God desires us to be one. Two he presents the Crusades as morally equivalent to Jihab and does little explanation about the events themselves or why they were fought. (No mention of the Byzantine emperor’s call for aid because of Islamic advances in Anatolia, the Muslim occupation of Spain, or Arab slave raids in the Mediterranean.) I will acknowledge though this book is about 21 years old and the author was educated in an evangelical Protestant university and probably social bubble. Hopefully if he ever does a revised edition, he’ll work on some of the scholarship regard this and writing format.
All in all it’s an easy read and can be finished in two days at an average pace.
