Light in the Shadow of Jihad: The Struggle for Truth [Hardcover]

Ravi Zacharias (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 6, 2002

The terrorists who brought death to thousands said they did it in God's name. Thousands of Christians around the world gathered in churches to pray for peace, while others blamed the very idea of God for the tragedy. Ravi Zacharias deals with five of the major questions on people's minds after September 11: - Is this true Islam or a fanatical counterfeit? - In what ways does the relation of church and state change a nation's view of religion and affect its culture? - Is this Islam or a pollution of it? Is religion dangerous to a culture? - Was there a prophecy that this would happen? - Where does this leave the future?"If we find those answers," writes Zacharias, "they will spell life, steadying the soul even though the heart still aches."

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ravi Zacharias was born in India, immigrating to Canada at age twenty. After earning a Masters of Divinity at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, he began a speaking ministry that has taken him worldwide (including the campuses of Harvard, Princeton, and Oxford University) as a recognized authority on comparative religions, cults, and philosophy. Zacharias' holds three doctorate degrees, and his books include the Gold Medallion winner Can Man Live without God, Deliver Us from Evil, Cries of the Heart, Jesus Among Other Gods, and two children's titles. He teaches a weekly, international radio program entitled Let My People Think. Ravi lives with his wife, Margaret, in Atlanta. They have three grown children.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Multnomah Books (February 6, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576739899
• ISBN-13: 978-1576739891
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #271,916 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

For over thirty-five years, Ravi Zacharias has spoken all over the world in great halls and universities, notably Harvard, Princeton, and numerous universities internationally. He is listed as a Senior Research Fellow at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford university. He has appeared on CNN and other international broadcasts. The author of several books for adults and children, he powerfully mixes biblical teaching and Christian apologetics. His most recent works include Walking from East to West, a memoir; The Grand Weaver, an exploration of God's intention in both the ordinary and the startling elements of life; and The End of Reason, a rebuttal of the claims of the so-called New Atheists. His weekly radio program, Let My People Think, is broadcast on 1,692 stations worldwide, and his weekday program, Just Thinking, is on 412. He is founder and chairman of the board of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with additional offices in Canada, Hong Kong, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates. Dr. Zacharias and his wife, Margie, have three grown children and reside in Atlanta.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Discussion of Post-9/11 Reality, February 28, 2002

By 

Kendal B. Hunter (Provo, UT United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Light in the Shadow of Jihad: The Struggle for Truth (Hardcover)

This is the first book that I have read that deals specifically with the 9/11 attacks. I always find Dr. Zacharias' approach to the great and terrible issues of our day to be sound, clear, and well thought out, with the entire logical ramifications in perfect order. Moreover, Dr. Zacharias has that rare ability to meld mind and heart in his theology, so much so, that I prefer his style to many of his more popular peers.

So what are we to make of the 9/11 attacks? Dr. Zacharias devotes six chapters, plus an appendix to covering this vexing question. I suggest reading the appendix first, got get a thumbnail of the arguments used in this rather slim book.

Chapter One sets the stage for the book, reminding us of what all this worry is about. Our memories too often are like the Short Attention Span Theater, with all segments not being over seven minutes. Sometime reality doesn't make it to the commercial break.

Chapter Two is a discussion of moral absolutes. Dr. Zacharias has come up with a concise definition of why moral relativism is bankrupt:

"Rarely have I met a true relativist. Hidden somewhere in the words of everyone who argues for complete relativism is a belief that there are, indeed, some acts that are wrong. The bottom line is this: When someone says that all truth is relative, he or she is making either a relative statement or an absolute one. If it is a relative statement, then that statement, by definition, is not always true. On the other hand, if the belief that all truth is relative is absolute, then the very statement itself must be denied, because it denies absolutes. The pure relativist cuts off the branch on which he is sitting while telling you the branch cannot be severed. The landing is mind-shattering." (p. 20)

In logic, this is called the "Self Inclusion Fallacy."

In Chapter Three, Dr. Zacharias discuses the essential nature of Islam, weather it is good or bad. ...

I think that we make sweeping generalizations against Islam, since the key to understanding the two Islams is how one translated "jihad." Dr. Zacharias makes the case that Islam is not inherently evil, but that the fundamentalists have hijacked it He spends some time discussing the blasting cap book of radical Islam, "The Missing Religious Precept," which focused on the negative, violent definition of "jihad."

Chapter Four is an interesting chapter that deals with Biblical prophecy about 9/11. We have read the Nostradamus "pious frauds," but this is the first time I have read a specific hermeneutic or theology on the attacks. Dr. Zachairas focuses on the Image of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel, and the incidents surrounding the birth of Ishmael and Isaac. The lineage is important, since so much depends on weather Ishmael or Isaac had the birthright.

The question of God's presence or absence during the attack is the subject of Chapter Five. I think Dr. Zacharias raised a poignant question, when he suggested a thought problem. If God appeared to you, and announced his existence in all his glory and fire, would you belie? Well, yes. But then, suppose you then accidentally ran over you child as you were backing up. Would you be content with you sure vision? (p. 84-89) He makes the point that we are not purely intellectual being, and that we need the whispering of the Spirit to our heart even more so. Doesn't the Bible speak of the Holy Spirit as the Comforter?

He rounds off his discussion in Chapter Six with confirming our faith in God. The issue isn't death, since we will all die, but on what we do with our allotted days.

This book is a very gentle book, yet it has a backbone along with its brain and heart. I recommend it for anyone wanting a strong philosophical answer to the question raised by the falling towers.

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended, December 11, 2002

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Light in the Shadow of Jihad: The Struggle for Truth (Hardcover)

In the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, Dr. Ravi Zacharias sat down to collect his thoughts, and wrote this book. First off, he looks at good and evil, and calls on America to return to morality. Then he looks at the struggle between truth and falsehood, and asks questions that Muslims must answer. The next chapter of the book looks at prophecy and the modern Middle East. And, the final two chapters ask the questions of where was God, and where do we go from here.

But, don't stop there. Be sure to read the appendix, which is entitled, "Steadying the Soul While the Heart is Breaking." It is a very touching postscript.

In many ways I feel inadequate in writing this review. I wish that I could easily boil down Dr. Zacharias' thoughts, but this book is just not like that. It is a book that came from his soul-searching, and it made me search my soul as well. If, as a Christian, you are willing to peer into your soul, as you prepare for the years ahead, then I would highly recommend that you get this book.

24 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Preaches to the choir, about the choir., September 21, 2002

By 

David Marshall - See all my reviews

This review is from: Light in the Shadow of Jihad: The Struggle for Truth (Hardcover)

Light in the Shadow of Jihad is eloquent and seemingly heart-felt sermon, but a little short on substance, it seemed to me. Zacharius' main points are that relativism is unhelpful in meeting the needs of modern man, and unprincipled absolutism -- a la bin Laden -- is no good either. It's also kind of a patriotic crie de couer. All right. Rousing, but not that enlightening. But maybe that's because I've heard the sermon before.

I tend to agree with most of what Zacharius says. But from the title I thought I might learn something about Islam here. I did not. The book is primarily about relativism. Zacharius is from India, but he seems to know more about Western philosophy than about non-Western religions, which is a pity, because Americans do need to learn about other religions from a prophetic, rather than uncritically affirming or denying, perspective. If that is what you are looking for, I recommend Paul Fregosi (Jihad), Maxime Rodinson (Mohammed), Bernard Lewis, V.S. Naipaul, or Peter Partner (God of Battles) for an honest and more informed look at Islam. I also highly recommend the works of Vishal Mangalwadi, another Indian Christian who writes with passion, but also it seems to me broader knowledge of other religions. If you want an eloquent sermon on the errors of relativism, this book may meet your need, however.