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Great Divide: Failure of Islam and Triumph of the West
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$ 15.96
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$ 19.95 |
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$ 3.99 (20%) |
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| Item Number |
102835 |
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Item Description...
These days, the hills are alive with the sound of musings about Islam. Publisher's Weekly reported this spring that a spate of new books on the religion are hitting the bookstores, and they're unlike the critical books that came out after September 11; the new tomes assure readers that Islam is a religion of peace. That, as Alvin Schmidt points out in The Great Divide, is wishful thinking. Muslims are right to point out that the Bible has its parts (such as the book of Joshua) that sound bloodthirsty to modern readers, but the Quran is Joshua all the way through, without its contextualization in the peace-emphasizing prophetic and New Testament books... ...Professor Schmidt does not hack away at Islam, nor does he attack Christianity because of headlined abuses that arise in it. He doesn't hyperventilate about the Abu Ghraibs of Christianity--the misogyny of some church fathers, the bloody entry of the Crusaders into Jerusalem, the pro-slavery rhetoric of some antebellum fire-eaters. Instead, he compares the normal practice of Christianity and Islam. He shows how Christianity grew by the blood of its martyrs, but Islam grew by killing those who opposed it. He compares the view of women in the New Testament and the Quran, showing how Christ's teaching eventually led to the development of complementary roles for men and women but Muhammad's teaching led to subservience. He shows how Christians looked at slavery critically over the centuries and how many fought for its abolition; Islam, though, has no intrinsic anti-slavery position, so it's no surprise that some Islamic countries today still allow it... ...Christians who understand these specific differences, delineated in Schmidt's book,will strengthen their own faith and be ready to enter into discussions with Muslims without offering either appeasement or shotgun-blast aggression. |
Item Specifications...
Pages 352
Dimensions: Length: 1" Width: 5.75" Height: 8.75"
Weight: 1.25 lbs.
Binding Softcover
Publisher Regina Orthodox Press
ISBN 1928653197
EAN 9781928653196
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Availability 3 units.
Availability accurate as of May 20, 2012 09:59.
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Reviews - What do our customers think?
 | Unflinching Historical Overview Mar 24, 2008 |
| Author has written an unflinching historical review of Islam from its origins to recent times. Dr. Schmidt tells it like it is - without waffling to accomodate politically correct bias. The book is written from a Christian perspective so, while accurate and honest, it isn't ambivalent. It's a good reference to have on your bookshelf. | | |  | Wake Up Call Mar 14, 2007 |
| This book is a must read for every American. We need to be aware of the reality of the Islam belief system as it is being practiced by the radical Muslims today. | | | | Scholarly and well-documented . . . Sep 5, 2005 |
| The Great Divide-The Failure of Islam and the Triumph of the West, by Alvin J. Schmidt, a scholarly and well-documented work, is a factual, non-emotional critique of Islam. He contrasts the biographies of Jesus and Muhammad, and the spirit and intent of the Bible vs. the Qur'an. Dr. Schmidt shares pertinent information regarding the treatment of Muslim women, and covers such issues as slavery (which is ongoing in Islam), "charity", the Crusades, Islamic liberty and justice, and church and state. Dr. Schmidt addresses the big question of this century candidly, as to whether or not Islam is a religion of peace, sidestepping the quagmire of political correctness. This is a "must read" for all who want to learn the essential facts of Islam. | | | | Correctly Chronicles Islam Mar 1, 2005 |
Alvin Schmidt's book about the "great divide" between Christianity and Islam is Christians, as well as, secular people need to read. It demonstrates the essential difference between Christianity and Islam; one (Christianity) is a religion founded on love and freedom from bondage, while the other (Islam) seeks to enslave and make others "submit." He opens the book by noticing the fundamental differences between Jesus and Muhammad and their views on such things as marriage, God, heaven.
Chapter two is a perfect, yet quick history lesson that is most relevant for secular people and Christians who insisted on thinking Islam, in its normative state, is a religion of peace. He accurately shows the differences in the growth of the two religions. Initially (first 300 years) Christianity spread through a passive movement relying on a sociological construct based on loving their neighbor and martyrdom. Islam spread immediately by the sword - this is objective historical data, no polemics here.
The other chapters are good, and while I cannot whole heartily endorse all his assertions, when he deals with history he is accurate and when he asserts a particular theological concept or idea, the reader knows the difference. The material and arguments are well laid out and overall, this is an outstanding work that any laymen can read and get an accurate historical understanding of the Islamic religion as it compares to Christianity.
I do need to note, there are muslims who seek a spiritual interpretation of the koran and Islamic history; they do so with either great courage or a congnitive dissonance. But if the West insists on accepting a politically correct Islam, then I hope these Islamic mystics succeed; because the West doesn't heed, it may very well fail.
| | | | Sociologist Compares Christianity to Islam Jan 18, 2005 |
Schmidt writes this perspective on Islam from a sociologist's perspective also viewing it somewhat from the viewpoint of history and theology. He convincingly shows that the current view of Islam's history and beliefs compared with Christianity's is somewhat distorted and untrue.
He aspect by aspect shows how today's world is not shown the entire breath of Islam's past and current cultural and theological stance on many societal issues: women, charity, liberty, justice, war and peace, Jesus, the Crusades, science and medicine, law. These are all fascinating and enlightening discussions, and at the least would fester further research and inquiry into interested subject matters with bibliographical materials included for such persual.
If one seeks but a theological comparison of the two, one would be wise to check out the best source I have found: Norman L. Geisler and Abdul Saleeb's "Answering Islam: The Crescent in Light of the Cross." | | | Write your own review about Great Divide: Failure of Islam and Triumph of the West
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