The cross and the crescent

Muhammad Arif Zakaullah

Paperback(IBT,Malaysia) 269 Pages

Price RS 395.00

ISBN 9789839541427

This fascinating book provides a broad picture of the history and politics of American Christian fundamentalism, focusing, in particular, on its implications for Muslim countries. It begins with a general introduction to the beliefs and variety of American Christian fundamentalist groups, tracing their emergence from the early years of the twentieth century. Zakaullah sees this as, in part, a reaction to liberal trends in Christian thought, and to the challenges posed by scientific thinking and the growing secularization of society. It was, in addition, a response to growing waves of immigration from non-Protestant and non-white countries. Late nineteenth and early twentieth century American evangelists also saw themselves as crusading against what they regarded as growing immorality and licentiousness. In the face of these challenges to their faith, they propagated an extremely literalist understanding of the Bible. Their version of Christianity alone was true, they believed, and the world needed to be won over to it to be saved. There was no other path to salvation, they insisted, in true fundamentalist fashion.