![]() ![]() And if Islamic history looks and feels rather violent and bloody, just remember, says Aslan, that it took Christianity 1500 years to experience its own Reformation. ![]() The West is merely a bystander-an unwary yet complicit casualty of a rivalry that is raging in Islam over who will write the next chapter in its history" (p. 248). But Aslan writes not just to inform in his introduction he admits that "this book is, above all else, an argument for reform" in this "magnificent yet misunderstood faith." In his view, contemporary Islam is best understood not in terms of its ostensible conflict with the Christian west, but within its own widely competing visions of itself: "There is one thing that cannot be overemphasized: What is taking place now within the Muslim world is an internal conflict between Muslims, not an external battle between Islam and the West. Reza Aslan was born in Iran but has lived most of his life in America, positioning him nicely to write this readable introduction to the history, practices, teachings, and contemporary challenges of Islam. Reza Aslan, No god but God The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam (New York: Random House, 2005), 310pp. ![]()
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