Jesus and the Jihadis ~ Review

Jesus and the Jihadis
Confronting the Rage of ISIS
By Craig A. Evans
   and Jeremiah J. Johnston

ISIS is almost constantly in the news, but what do we really know about this ideology?  Craig Evans and Jeremiah Johnston offer thoughtful insight through this book.

To get an understanding we must go back thousands of years to Abraham and the choices he made when he followed God out of the land of his father. Abraham was promised a land for his descendants, a land that would be theirs. But the children of Abraham and Sarah had a problem - they were forever turning from God, worshiping other gods, going through periods of captivity and restoration. Israel's history comes to it most important moment with the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. This is one of the most important differences between Christianity and Islam - God died for us while Allah desires that you die for him.

Jesus came from a world that had stability with synagogue attendance, knowledge of Scripture, and prayer. Muhammad came from a world of paganism, polytheism, and tribal rivalries.  But Muhammad was free to develop his religious system how he desired - the monotheism of Judaism appealed to him, as did Jesus as a prophet - not as God's son. He combined these with some of the beliefs of his own upbringing.

With nonviolent beginnings, Muhammad's preaching and evangelistic works became coercive and militant in the face of opposition from the Arabs of his day. Where Jesus commands us the love our enemy, Muhammad's God does not want us to befriend or love our enemy or his.  This is a noted difference one that can be traced to the differences in one's understanding of who God is. To battle one's enemy is the greatest service one can do in the name of Allah and live or die one will be rewarded in pleasures.

In order to counter the threat that the has come to our very doorstep we must learn about the religion of Muhammad. Shockingly this was a sentiment put forth nearly 500 years ago by Martin Luther as Europe was under the shadow of the Islamic Ottoman Empire. Our very ignorance is undermining our sharing of the grace of God and the hope found in Jesus and His sacrifice.

This is a book that will make you think more deeply about the world we live in and the ever present threat that we now live with.  To understand ISIS we need to know the roots from which they grew. This was not an overnight transition but one that has been centuries in the making. The saying knowledge is power couldn't be more true.

I was provided a copy of this book through TBCN/BookFun in exchange for my honest review.  

About the Book:

The book that Christians want 

and need

For this urgent hour in history   

As ISIS dominates news headlines, attention is given to the terrorist group’s ideology… when the true motive of their mayhem is actually revealed in their theology!  

Major General Michael K. Nagata of the Special Operations forces in the Middle East explains that “we do not understand the movement… and until we do, we are not going to defeat it.”
 
The key to defeating ISIS’ regime of terror is understanding its theology.
 
This is why two leading Biblical scholars offer this go-to guide to understanding ISIS’ distorted theology. Through fresh historical and Biblical insights, discover how ISIS’ acts of violence, terrorism, and persecution impact your life and your faith today.
 
Get revealing answers to questions such as:

• How did three faiths come out of one man—Abraham?
• Why does ISIS utilize social media and technology for terrorist propaganda?
• Is ISIS Islamic and would Muhammad himself join this group?
• How do the Gospels and the Qur’an see Jesus differently?
• How does Biblical history address the development of ISIS?

 
The question millions are asking is Why? Why the hate? Why the persecution? Why the murder? To find the answer, you will trace the origins of ISIS’ radical theology and discover why these acts of terrorism are happening, what they mean, and where they are taking us.

About the Authors:

Craig A. Evans received his Ph.D. (1983) in New Testament from Claremont Graduate University. Evans appears regularly in various specials on History Channel, History Television, Discovery Channel, Day of Discovery, National Geographic Channel, BBC, and NBC Dateline. For fun Evans participates annually in archeological digs in the Middle East and volunteer-teaches at schools world-wide. Professor Evans lives in Kentville, Nova Scotia, with his wife Ginny; they have two grown daughters and a grandson.

Dr. Johnston is a New Testament scholar, teacher, apologist, and speaker. His passion is equipping Christians to give intellectually informed accounts of what they believe. Dr. Johnston completed his doctoral residency in Oxford, in partnership with Oxford Centre for Christian Studies, and received his Ph.D. from Middlesex University (United Kingdom) with commendation.

Dr. Johnston currently serves as the founder and President of Christian Thinkers Society, a resident Institute at Houston Baptist University where he also serves as an Associate Professor in the School of Christian Thought. For more information, visit www.ChristianThinkers.com.