Islam at the Crossroads: Understanding Its Beliefs, History, and Conflicts (Paperback)

~ (Author), Roberta Green (Author), Lela Gilbert (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Islam at the Crossroads traces how the vibrant history of Islam has been inspired by specific core beliefs, including jihad or holy war. Written in a popular and engaging style, it begins with a panoramic view of invasions and campaigns, including those of the Prophet Mohammad, and quickly moves to today's events, including terrorist attacks over the past five years. This historical survey reveals how certain Islamic beliefs have created an international network of violent groups, including Al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden's operational base. The authors explore the differences between these militant groups and the peaceful majority of Muslim people and consider the question as to which form of Islam will prevail. The voices of moderate Islamic scholars and clerics then conclude the book with the call for a rejection of radical Shari'a law and a focus, instead, on an inner battle against evil. Readers interested in understanding the history of Islam and its conflicts with Christianity and Judaism, including pastors and theology and political science students, will benefit from this objective book and its illustrative stories, maps, and charts.

About the Author

Paul Marshall is Senior Fellow at the Center for Religious Freedom in Washington, D.C., and the author of several books. Lela Gilbert is a writer and editor whose work includes both fiction and nonfiction books. She and Marshall co-authored Their Blood Cries Out, which won a Gold Medallion. Roberta Green is an award-winning journalist and an expert on Islamic history.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Baker Books (August 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801064163
• ISBN-13: 978-0801064166
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #121,734 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Just Opened Book to Glaring Error, May 8, 2008

By	Lisa Alhende "A Muslim" (Virginia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I picked the book up from curiosity; I am a Muslim. Did an 'open to' test and opened to the sixth page of the first chapter. Saw that in listing what Muslims believe he wrote that we must believe in "Allah's Angels (Jinn)". Yes, we must believe in Angels, and we do believe in Jinn, but these are completely different creations. Jinn live amongst us and like us have the gift/burden of free will. Angels only serve Allah and don't have will. If such a profound misunderstanding (and poor editing I must add) is in such a crucial and basic section early in the book, where can this book go when it delves into things less clear? The trash.

10 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Clear, Concise Overview of Complex Subject, November 28, 2002

By A Customer

Islam at the Crossroads is informative, insightful, and balanced. It's size and style make it accessible to the concerned layperson. It offers exactly what Christians in America (and around the world) need to understand as an introduction to Islam. Marshall, Gilbert and Green have written a splendid treatment of one of the most critical topics facing the Church today.

3 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Radical Islam, May 20, 2005

By	William Garrison Jr. (Bellevue, WA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

What do you know about Islam? Not as much as you'd like? This compelling, accessible, and objective overview traces its vibrant history and core beliefs---including jihad (holy war). You'll learn about Islam's conflicts with Judaism and Christianity, the differences between militant factions and the peaceful majority of Muslims, and the forces shaping its future. 112 pages, softcover from Baker.

How was Islam formed and founded? What forces are shaping the future of Islam? How and why did an international network of violent groups emerge? What are some common beliefs between militant Islam and the peaceful majority? Which form of Islam will prevail? Islam at the Crossroads will help you find answers to these questions and more as it explores the history of Islam, its basic beliefs and practices, and its polarizing divisions. Discover how the vibrant history of Islam has been inspired by core beliefs such as jihad, or holy war. Consider the worldview of a religion that does not separate church and state, sacred and secular. Examine the similarities and differences among Muslim groups and between Islamic and Judeo-Christian teachings. And gain insight into today's events through a panoramic view of invasions and campaigns, from those of the Prophet Muhammad to present-day acts of terrorism. Accesible and engaging, Islam at the Crossroads is an exceptional primer for understanding Islam. It not only presents Islam's basic foundations and historical facts, it also reveals the varied world of Islam today, calling for support from from the millions of moderate Muslims who wish to simply live their lives in peace.

Table of Contents:

1. What Muslims Believe

2. Islam's Earliest Days

3. The Rise and Fall of the Ottomans

4. Islam in the Modern World

5. The Growth of Islamic Extremism

From the Introduction: "After centuries of battles, Constantinople, the crown of the Christian Byzantine Empire, finally fell to the Turks in 1453. Seven years later, Islam's warriors invaded Mystras. The ruined churches still stand, scarred by the violence of that attack. In the narthex of the Church of St. Demetrius, the faces and especially the eyes of the saints and apostles are mutilated. Believing that power was in these icons, the conquerors rode their horses into the church and with their swords and spears gouged out the eyes and destroyed the faces of the Christian saints."
Worlds Apart
...."While radical Islam is growing, it does not represent the majority of Muslims. Nevertheless, radical Islam gains attention because of its violence and because it is organized and vocal." ....
"We (the authors) believe that a battle for the hearts of Muslims is being fought on a global scale today, not only in Afghanistan and the nations of the Middle East, but in Indonesia, the Philippines, Central Asia, Africa, and now in Western Europe and North America. Extreme Islamists have targeted Jews, Christians, and moderate Muslims, who continue to suffer persecution at the hands of militant regimes. Failing to understand the Islamic world is failing to understand the twenty-first century."
"Finally, much of the current American interest in Islam stems from the attacks on September 11, 2001, and is focused particularly on radical Islam. Consequently, we have devoted extra attention to the nature and roots of extremism. In doing so, we use the terms radical Islam, extremist Islam, and Islamists interchangeably to describe the practitioners of violence and their supporters. As you will see in the pages that follow, many moderate Muslims throughout the world suffer at the hands of radicals."