Every time we turn around, we seem to be in challenging times. Every time we turn around there seems to be something more that threatens to divide us even further. Increasingly…
There is a growing skepticism among young people toward the category of “leader.” This is evident in both a defensive and protective posture towards those who identify as…
When we think of leadership, perhaps we think of individuals who seemingly occupy a lot of space in any given arena–the shiny politician, the savvy entrepreneur, or the…
The landscape of interfaith relationship building has undergone a seismic shift since the Hamas attacks of October 7th, 2023 and the resultant renewal of attention that event…
With the psalm wrapping up, the Time was fast approaching. Organ notes shifted to a hauntingly familiar prelude to my morning anxiety. Deep breath in. Deep breath out…
Evangelicals face enormous challenges in the pluralistic public square in the 21st century, especially among Muslims. Suspicion and fear of Muslims exist in many quarters as a result of 9/11 and other radical Muslim acts of terror in places like Spain and London and some bad habits about how most of us absorb news. We firmly believe that radical Muslims do not represent the majority of Muslims in the West, who have repeatedly disavowed terrorism. Clearly, most Muslims in the U.S. seek to live out their Muslim faith in ways that affirm and resonate with American values.
Several years ago during a guest lecture on Islam, one of our Evangelical seminary students asked the president of a local mosque if Muslims did not feel any remorse over what al-Qaida had done on 9/11. He also wanted to know if Muslims did not cherish freedom and affirm human dignity. The mosque president immediately reacted to the student, pointedly calling to mind what he saw as American imperialistic policies that supported dictatorial regimes in the Middle East. The Muslim leader argued that America and Western Christianity had filth on its hands, too. The mud-slinging from both sides got us nowhere. It only exposed how messy our religions are.