As I was reading Diana Eck’s book, A New Religious America, I was reminded that the average American does not have a clue about religious movements in America. Our attitude of tolerance, privatization of religion, and pluralism has made America the most religiously diverse nation on earth. These factors have also kept America from seeing both the challenge and the gravity of this situation.

However, Sept. 11, 2001 opened some eyes to one of the fastest growing religions in America and the world, namely Islam. We have challenged our readers to be aware of what is happening as more and more Muslims are populating all areas of our country. Because there is so much to read of varying quality, we attempt to be very selective and present books that are strategic, informative, and readable.

Bernard Lewis, a professor of “Near Eastern Studies” Emeritus at Princeton University, is the author of the best seller What Went Wrong. He has the reputation of being one of the greatest historians of the Middle East. All of his writings are descriptive and even prescriptive as they relate to the Islamic religion.

This book is full of helpful and insightful information on why Islam is so driven by resentment and hatred expressed in acts of violence, hatred, and terrorism globally and particularly in America. In The Crisis of Islam, Lewis gives a good overview of thirteen centuries of Islamic history, which he then explains and sets the stage for many of the dramatic events of recent days. He gives background as to why Muslim terrorists (and not all Muslims are terrorists) have singled out America as the chief of the infidels to be destroyed.

Lewis gives evidence that “the Muslim peoples, like everyone else in the world, are shaped by their history, but unlike some others, they are keenly aware of it…. Islamic history, for Muslims, has an important religious and also legal significance, since it reflects the working out of God’s purpose for His community—those that accept the teachings of Islam and obey its law.”

Certainly there is rich and colorful history coming from the Muslim people down through the centuries. But there are also clear indications as to why the terrorist element of Islam has become such a dangerous and deadly force to be dealt with. Lewis explains why extremist Islamists are committed to a jihad (holy war) that is driven to kill their enemy, the great Satan, namely Americans. Lewis also briefly connects the dots between Saudi Arabia, Wahhabis, Hamas, and their terrorist motivations. He includes two extremely helpful chapters, one dealing with the marriage between the Wahhabi terrorists and Saudi power, and a closing chapter on the rise of terrorism.

Lewis maintains, “Terrorism requires only a few. Obviously, the West must defend itself by whatever means will be effective. But in devising means to fight terrorism, it would surely be useful to understand the forces that drive them.” To that I would add that Christians have a responsibility to reach out to Muslims in their areas of influence. To develop that dialogical relationship, we need to know what we are dealing with historically, religiously, and politically. Lewis’s writings are of tremendous value and benefit to that end.

Christopher Catherwood teaches courses on Islam and religious conflict for the University of Virginia. He lives in England and is a well-known historian. In many ways, Islamic Rage is similar to Lewis’s book. I believe the books reinforce each other and thus help us to have a fuller and more accurate picture of our world today.

Catherwood is another easy to read writer. He focuses on key issues that have caused the war between Christians and Muslims in the west. He states that this book is for the general reader, though he clearly writes from much knowledge and expertise on the topic. He intentionally leaves out many technical details in order to appeal to the non-technical reader.

This book will give us some basis for asking and answering the question of what can and should we be doing about current events. While it is true that many Muslims abhorred and decried what happened on Sept 11, 01 at the twin towers, others praised and celebrated the event. It was all part of the jihad (Holy War) for Islam. Part of our perplexity is that in America we have learned to isolate and privatize our religion from politics or economics. However with Islam, religion is the energy behind all those areas.

Catherwood points out that with today’s Islamic terrorists, “they have no such qualms and actually want to massacre people on a vast scale for reasons we shall see” (in this book). In saying that, Catherwood attempts to explain why Islamic rage is such a 20^th and 21^st century phenomenon.

In contrast to Lewis’s book, Catherwood does help us think about the past, present, and future from a Christian perspective. He wants us to understand that what is happening today actually had its beginning a long time ago. We are still paying for the mistakes of the Crusaders, as far as Islam is concerned.

As I read Catherwood’s book, I realized that it was bad theology that led to the Crusades. It was bad theology that led to the development of Islam. Hence we find in history both Muslims and Christians using the same tactics in the name of religion, which was a false religion. So if bad theology got us into this predicament, then good theology must be our hope of getting out of the morass that has engulfed us.

There is so much in this book, like The Crisis in Islam, that I would like to quote, but space does not allow it. However, if you want to understand what you are hearing on the daily news, you will not want to miss the chapter “Oil and America: The Political and Religious Consequences of Everyday Decisions.” In that chapter he points out that seeing ourselves as others see us is crucial, whether they are right in their observations or not. He even deals with the burning question some have, “Can a Christian Drive a SUV?”

Catherwood closes his book on a positive optimistic view because as he says, Islamic extremism will fail because God’s purposes will not be thwarted. God tells us his ultimate purposes in the Bible and it is not for extreme Islam to succeed with their jihad. As an added value, Catherwood has a helpful glossary of Islamic related terms at the end of the book.

- Charles Dunahoo, CEP Coordinator