Answering Islam: The Crescent in Light of the Cross [Paperback]

Norman L. Geisler (Author), Abdul Saleeb (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2002

Written by a renowned apologist and a former Muslim, this book is an essential resource for understanding the world's second largest religion. It clearly presents the basic doctrines of Islam, analyzes the validity of Islamic claims, and examines the evidence for the Christian counterclaim.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

What are the fundamental beliefs of Islam and how can Christians respond to them?

Answering Islam evaluates the claims of orthodox Islam and examines the evidence for the Christian counterclaim, preparing you with strong apologetic answers. This revised edition contains more resources and updated information throughout.

"This book is a must for everyone concerned about defending the Christian faith. Dr. Geisler and his coauthor, a former Muslim, have given one of the most comprehensive expositions and most complete evaluations of Islam in print."
Josh McDowell, author, Evidence That Demands a Verdict

"Answering Islam is a valuable tool for those wrestling with the theological barriers that separate one billion Muslims from personal faith in Jesus Christ."
Patrick Cate, president, International Missions, Inc.

"The Muslim presence in the United States continues to grow. It is important that we have a clearly written and fairly presented statement of what Muslims believe and how we as Christians may present the claims of Christ to them in a persuasive and loving way."
Ronald Nash, Reformed Theological Seminary

"This book is a theological masterpiece, the most lucid and comprehensive theological analysis and critique of Islam from a Christian perspective I have ever seen. It is invaluable as a tool for understanding the most serious religious challenge to Christianity in the modern world."
R. C. Sproul, Ligonier Ministries

Norman L. Geisler, Ph.D., is president of Southern Evangelical Seminary and the author of more than fifty books, including the Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics.
Abdul Saleeb is a former Muslim who has intensively studied the differences between Christianity and Islam.

About the Author

Norman L. Geisler (PhD, Loyola University of Chicago) has taught at top evangelical schools for over fifty years and is distinguished professor of apologetics and theology at Veritas Evangelical Seminary in Murrieta, California. He is the author of more than seventy books, including the Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Baker Books; 2 edition (August 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801064309
• ISBN-13: 978-0801064302
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (97 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #25,224 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #48 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Islam

More About the Author

Norman Geisler (PhD, Loyola University) is president of Southern Evangelical Seminary and author or coauthor of over fifty books including Decide for Yourself, Baker's Encyclopedia of Apologetics, and When Skeptics Ask.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

129 of 142 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Understanding Islam, February 21, 2003

By 

William Muehlenberg (Melbourne Australia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Answering Islam: The Crescent in Light of the Cross (Paperback)

Norman Geisler is one of America's leading Christian apologists. He is also one of the most prolific, with well over sixty titles to his name. In this volume he teams up with a former Muslin to present one of the most detailed, scholarly and up-to-date-assessments of Islam yet offered by the Christianity community.

Answering Islam is a thorough examination of the major teachings and beliefs of Islam. The book is comprised of three main sections. The first deals with the various core teachings of Islam: the Koran, the place of Muhammed, the Muslim's view of man and salvation, and the doctrine of God (Allah).

A number of issues are dealt with in these opening chapters, including the place of prophets in Islam, the Muslim concept of creation, the place of Christ in Islamic thinking, and the nature of eschatology in Islam. Were the book to finish here, the reader would have been treated to a wealth of information and insight into Muslim beliefs.

But the second section takes us much further, offering an in-depth Christian assessment of some of these doctrines. Three subjects are given extensive treatment: the nature of Islamic monotheism, the person of Muhammed, and the claims of the Koran.

Concerning strict Muslim monotheism, a number of issues are covered. The unity of Allah is closely examined, as is the notion of divine sovereignty. The authors show that Allah lacks the personal, loving nature which the God of Judeo-Christian beliefs presents. Instead Allah is seen as harsh, authoritarian and utterly transcendent. Muslims know nothing of the personal intimacy which Christians have with their Lord. Yes, the God of the Bible is transcendent, but he is also immanent as well, making him one to both fear and love simultaneously.

And the utterly deterministic nature of Allah makes any concept of personal freedom and responsibility difficult to maintain in orthodox Islam. The extreme fatalism and strict determinism found in Islam result in a master-slave relationship, instead of the close friendship which Christians can enjoy with their God.

The chapter on Muhammed is equally revealing and incisive. The authors carefully assess his character, his claims to miracles, and his concept of prophethood. And the chapter on the Koran looks at its claims to being divinely inspired. But the supporting credentials are just not there, argue the authors.

Finally, the third major section of the book offers a positive defense of key Christian doctrines: the deity of Christ, the Trinity, salvation, and Biblical authority. As these are main stumbling blocks for Muslims, the authors present a detailed defense of these biblical concepts, interacting with Muslim misunderstandings along the way.

On top of all this, there are 6 extensive appendices on such issues as Muslim religious practices, Muslim sects and movements, and Muslim attacks on the New Testament. But most readers will race to Appendix 5, "Islam and Violence".

In the wake of September 11, many will want to know if Muslim militancy is an integral part of Islam or an aberration of it. The authors provide a close inspection of the concept of jihad, or holy war. The authors contend that there are plenty of Koranic texts which appear to justify acts of violence and aggression. Indeed, it seems to be an essential feature of Islamic teaching, as found in the Koran and the hadith, or oral tradition of Islam. Both lend support for armed attacks on non-believers.

The authors point out that such justification for holy war is not comparable with what appears to be the Old Testament equivalent. This order to fight was limited in both time and place, while the Islamic version appears to be universal and timeless. Warfare in the New Testament is clearly spiritual in nature, and church and state have their separate spheres ("Render onto Caesar..."). But Islam knows no such distinction. Thus political power and religious authority are seen as one by most Muslims. Here, and in many other areas, Islam differs radically from the Christian faith.

In an age which appears to see all religions as being largely the same, and in a culture where Political Correctness reigns supreme, it is hard to make theological and ethical distinctions. But that we must do, and this book helps us to do just that in regard to the two main religious movements of our day. Many other good books exist which evaluate Islam from a Christian perspective. However, if you can afford only one, this should be your choice.

56 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Answer & reply to typical accusations of Islam!, January 5, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Answering Islam: The Crescent in Light of the Cross (Paperback)

Answering Islam is a decent,scholarly and level-headed rejoinder to the typical,twisted claims and bald accusations frequently put forward by Islam on Christianity. That this book is wonderfully level-headed,practically free of polemical anti-islamic wild accusations stands in stark contrast with comparable material circulating around the popular muslim press in a large part of the muslim world eg.Deedat(but already fully refuted by Gilchrist). Instead, two men have put their heads together, one a reputable scholar and the other, someone who has left Islam for the light of Christianity, to reply to some of the false claims and charges brought by muslims. The previous charge of mis-interpretations cuts both ways. Islam has very, very frequently misunderstood and misinterpreted the Gospel and Jesus Christ's teachings extremely arrogantly, blindly and foolishly. Now, That is the height of ignorance. Thats what Geisler and Abdul Saleeb have addressed in both an open and objective way with "Answering Islam", in the most gentlemenly of ways and yet keeping the straight talk un-muddied with malicious slurs and emotional polemics-something which I have difficulty saying about similar muslim writings. Get this book and study it, regardless of what the detractors want to say-it is worth your last cent, then also browse through Dr.William Campbell's "The Quran and the Bible in the light of History and Science"

71 of 82 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent CHRISTIAN Primer for Responding to Islam!!, February 11, 2002

By 

David R. Bess (Charleston, WV) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Answering Islam: The Crescent in Light of the Cross (Paperback)

If you as a Christian are looking for a good book to help you discuss differences of belief with a Muslim friend, then look no more! This volume is an excellent summary by a noted Christian apologist. It is a great start on understanding Islamic beliefs from a Christian perspective.

It must be understood from the outset that this book has a definite Christian bias. It is not likely to be warmly accepted by Muslims, nor is that kind of reception its intent. This volume is a Christian apologetic work, summarizing Islam, identifying weaknesses in its major beliefs, then elaborating on the ways in which Christianity is superior to it.

Geisler and Saleeb (a former Muslim) begin by describing the Islamic positions on monotheism, creation, prophets, Muhammad, the Quran, and the end of time. They then move to responding from a Christian viewpoint to these positions. The subjects of monotheism, Muhammad, and the Quran are given particular attention.

Geisler and Saleeb conclude the main body of their work with a defense of the Bible, the deity of Jesus, the trinity, and the substitutionary death of Christ. Four helpful appendices are included. They describe Muslim sects, religious practices, the Gospel of Barnabas, and Islamic objections to the authority of the New Testament.

For a Christian wanting to share his faith relationally with a Muslim friend, this volume is the one to buy!