A Review of Aaron D. Taylor's Book, Alone with a Jihadist
Posted: Wednesday, September 09, 2009
by Eugene Redstone
Aaron Taylor has been a remarkable contributor to the SearchWarp writers' community for a long time. When he told me about his new book and the setting in which it starts out, I knew I needed a copy for myself.
Considering the growing rift between the Islamic World and the mostly-Christian West, it's more important than ever to hear both sides of the story. So when I picked up Alone With A Jihadist, I was interested to see what the book had to say. Taylor, a well-traveled missionary from the Bible Belt, tells his story of meeting a Catholic-born convert to fundamentalist Islam- and the answers that Taylor's missionary experience didn't give him.
Taylor's whole premise, then, is this: Christianity in America has become all-too-obsessed with the idea that the USA was established by and for Christian principles, and wrongfully interprets Matthew 10:34, which says "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword". Instead, we should concern ourselves first with showing Christ's love and serving one another, even when one another' includes those overseas who at best mistrust us and at worst consider us the enemies of God.
This book isn't afraid to go toe-to-toe with the big issues. Taylor asks what good churches are if their boundaries stop and start along national lines. He asks why Western countries invest so much money into defense budgets instead of giving to the poor. He challenges his readers to wonder whether or not God needs worldly soldiers to spread a kingdom that is distinctly not of this world.
The solutions Taylor brings up in this book will be controversial to many, I'm sure. Yet his thoughts are interesting, if not challenging and sure to change many readers' perspectives. And even if the opinions of Alone With A Jihadist are bound to conflict with those commonly held about Christianity, Jesus said that He "did not come to bring peace, but a sword," after all.
If you find any of these issues intriguing at all, I'm sure you will find Alone with a Jihadist fascinating.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR OF THE BOOK
Aaron D. Taylor was raised in a Midwestern charismatic church with the belief that Christians had a duty to take up arms in defense of their government and the ideals of freedom. He supported our actions in Iraq and asserted that only one political party was the appropriate home for true believers of God. After a meeting in London with Khalid, a militant jihadist, Taylor came away with a deep questioning of the ideals that, up to that moment, formed a cornerstone for his theology.
In Alone with a Jihadist, Aaron Taylor shares his personal revelation that Christians are not to be supporters of military or other violent solutions to the world’s problems. Readers can order Alone with a Jihadist book on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or on http://www.aarondtaylor.com
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Top-level comments on this article: (10 total)This sounds like a good book to read, Bruce.I remember growing up and wondering why God would allow so many people to go to hell. To say anything would have branded me an infidel. But what is the truth?Intriguing article.
Hats off to Mr. Taylor, Bruce. Thanks for sharing your take on the book, and as always a pleasure to read your submissions (smile)Stay Blessed, and keep up the splendid work of supporting your team [players] :)
I heard Aaron, in an interview regarding this book and it made me want to read it eve then. Thanks for posting this Bruce.
Sounds like an interesting read, thanks for sharing
Great review, Bruce. I just finished the book myself. I found it very concerning and filled my with still more questions that I can't answer.
Readers Club comment this time Bruce. My thoughts have not changed.
Sounds like a fascination book. Your review is thought provoking and I enjoyed reading it. Marijo
Fundamentalists,in every religion,those who blindly believe that their sacred texts are the living word of God ,threaten history and the planet's peace with their unthinking violence and narrow self righteousness,be they Jews,so called Christians,or MuslimsYou then deny that God has spoken to man, and place yourself and your "intellect" above God. The law of God commands you do your neighbour no harm, how do you reconcile that unchageable sacred text with unthinking violence??? Maybe you need to think about it.
A great article, and it sounds like a very interesting book.Its important for all of us that we can be willing to let go of deeply held ideals if new evidence or experiences come along that require us to do so, and it sounds like Aaron Taylor has done just that, and should be applauded for it.
"In Alone with a Jihadist, Aaron Taylor shares his personal revelation that Christians are not to be supporters of military or other violent solutions to the world’s problems." --- It seems a bit peculiar to inform Christian faith with Jihadist thinking.
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