The Cross in the Shadow of the Crescent: An Informed Response to Islam’s War with Christianity

Lutzer is conflicted.On one hand, this is one of the few books that explains well the Islamic threat to Christianity in America. It is well written and substantially accurate. It correctly points out "that the greatest challenge we face might be within the church itself - the dimness of our light is just as much a problem as the depth of the world's darkness." Here the author explains the churches ignorance and indifference to the threat of Islam being the likely result of not being serious about our own Christian faith.But here is the kicker, a significant flaw in the book:Lutzer inadequately defines the extent of the Muslim threat. He uses the term "Islamist" throughout the book to refer to "extremists only." By doing this he is assuming that Muslims who are not classified as "extremists" are all ok - not a problem - not a part of the theat. What is a Muslim "extremist?" Is it one who wears a bomb vest or has explosives in his underwear? Is it one of thousands who monetarily contribute to the many Islamic terror groups or among the tens of thousands who are sympathetic? Is it one among the majority who desires or promotes Sharia law in the US? He doesn't really say. That is left purposely vague, I presume, so that he does not offend the Muslims who presently have no plans to do us harm.Fear of offending, sacrificing the whole truth, remains a problem of the Church - and of Lutzer's otherwise fine book. At best, Lutzer gives us mixed messages, first qualifying the threat, distinguishing "extremists" from Muslims and Islam in general and then giving a more accurate depiction of the widespread Islamic influence throughout the Muslim community. This is a big mistake.The reality is that even "moderate" Muslims are culturally connected to the radicals. Many or most of them will likely side with their more radical cohorts when push comes to shove. Worse, recent history has demonstrated that we have consistently failed to correctly identify "moderates" since many of them have turned out to be true extremists.The key point that Lutzer did not clearly make is that the orthodox Islamic ideology taught and promoted by Muhammad, reflected in the Islamic scriptures, and taught by the majority of Islamic scholars today is "extremist." Muslims who are not extremist are either apostate or cultural Muslims, or are "sleeper" Muslims hiding their true devoutness to blend in with our culture as so many terrorists have done. But even those who presently appear to be the nice cultural Muslim next door will most likely maintain allegiance to the radical as numerous polls have indicated.Not all Muslims who took over the churches in Europe and converted them to Mosques were extremists, either. Most were likely every day cultural Muslims who, together, exerted just enough influence to make life miserable for the former Christian majority.Lutzer says "we must see Muslim as people who long for peace and happiness...and who want to do right by Allah as they understand him." That is the problem. "As they understand" the Islamic Allah is part of the problem. The Islamic Allah is absolutely different from God - not at all the same. Lutzer fails to highlight this distinction in the context of his statement urging charitability toward Muslims who just "want to do right by Allah as they understand him."He says the way the church addresses the problem of Islam is either the "Thou shalt not offend" method, or the "We must expose the worst about Islam" approach. He is against both approaches and seeks the middle ground. I suppose the middle ground to Lutzer is to NOT inform the folks about the worst of Islam, but dialogue with them suspecting they are all convert-able. Dialogue with them. News flash: Not exposing the worst of Islam is the same as not revealing the truth about Islam. That seems insane and un-Christian. The only way to effectively confront the problem of Islam is to know all we can about it, including "the worst" which is in itself quite extensive. In fact, "the worst about Islam" is the entire ideology, beginning with Muhammad and extending all the way to the present day leadership that promotes sedition in the US, terror attacks, taqiyya-lying doctrine, mis-treatment of women, Sharia, hate of Christians, Jews and the West, on and on. And Lutzer says we should not expose the WORST about Islam? That belief certainly degrades Lutzer's understanding of Islam in my book despite the many accurate facts about Islam he included.Yes, he does appear conflicted and his book shows it.

A much needed warning on how `stealth jihad' is slowly overtaking America. Not by the armed invasion, but by using the freedoms granted by our Constitution and secularization to seize huge grants of power. The powers that be in Washington blithely try to appease Islam, not realizing that doing so shows not only weakness in Muslim eyes but submission as slaves to Muslim superiors. In Revelation we are shown that Christ wins in the end, yet there will be lots of persecution and temporary losses along the way. So learn to persevere, if need be in underground churches, as persecution grows.Yet while many demand shariah law be put in place, the majority of Muslims left their own countries to escape shariah and are really 'Muslims in name only`. You know, like the `Christians' who attend church only to be baptized, married and buried or complain how dull the services are that they sleep through.So learn how to present the true word of God without watering it down into "Chrislam" the fake synergistic attempt to befriend Muslims by throwing out every part of the gospel that they may not like since it clashes with the Koran. (Like Christ is the only savior, is God come as a human, that you can't erase your own sins, etc.) Nor going the opposite direction of blaming every one them of being a follower of every radical sheik and balming them for every crime and atrocity committed by Muslims since the 500's.

Dr Lutzer has done it again. What a comprehensive book - filled with truth and love. Dr Lutzer was my pastor when I lived in Chicago and he is the genuine article. This book is a blessing as I have several Muslim friends and happen to be getting to know a new friend who is Muslim. The Lord is calling us to have a great enough love for all people that we operate in reckless abandon to His will. That is scary sometimes but as Pastor Lutzer exhorts us in this book - we must be willing to risk it all for His kingdom. We as Americans many times are so comfortable in our freedoms we forget that our country began by people risking it all to gain freedom of religion. We must continue to cherish and fight with our votes and our voices (writing our congress for example) to maintain those freedoms or as we see in the UK we can lose them. In Chicago there is a neighborhood on the North side that I lived near that is predominantly Indian and Pakistani as well as many Africans. There are billboards in that neighborhood for real estate brokerages that actually say in big letters Sharia compliant. So don't think that we are exempt - it's already here! Thanks Pastor Lutzer for once again equipping us to love and pray for our Muslim neighbors and friends in spirit and in truth!

It was an awakening read. Dr. Lutzer is a wonderful writing and a compassionate pastor. Therefore he brought both skills to bear in this work. He wrapped a very dry historical story of the beginning of the Islamic faith into a interesting narrative. Along with telling a compassionate story about the struggles through history that non-muslims and those trapped inside the 'faith ' have had to bear. You will not like this book if you are happily following thw tales that the CAIR is telling America and if you look at the media stories about how the west is so damaging the middle east and the Islamic faith. If you believe that there is more going on with the war between Islam and everyone else in the world this is a book for you, it is a book to see where we as a world have come from and where we are going if Islam is allowed to run the world

Very informative - interesting reading

This is a valuable book to acquire additional understanding and concerns about the struggles of Christians in the Middle East and elsewhere. it give a hard look at the reality facing many in countries under the rule of Sharia law. It is important that people become informed about the fastest growing religion and what that may mean for us in the West.

"The Cross in the Shadow of the Crescent". This is the latest and best that exposes the Muslim Religion as one that is Jihadist and revengeful at its heart. It is a man made religion and it uses the name Allah as its "god", it was an Arabic name for what was the moon god. The Bible teaches that the name of the one and only true God is JEHOVAH. And He has a son TheLord Jesus Christ who is the only Saviour of the World. Jews and Christians are not infidels as Islam declares. Isalm believes that a Caliphate will arise and Conquer the world, and all that do not respond to the Muslim religion will be put to death. Islam prefers to kill by the sword by beheading.Islam does not know love or forgiveness,this is only found in true Evangelical Christianity. We must preach the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to all men,and more and more to the deceived Muslims for whom Christ Died as well. Sincerely, Moise Audette.

I love how this book explains the great opportunity for Muslims to hear the true Word of God for the first time in their lives. That their immigration gives them opportunity to hear the Bible message. Many Islamic countries ban the Bible. It also talks about 2 different types of jihad going on in the world. The first being terrorism and the second being love jihad. Anyone interested in learning about the long term plan of Islam should read it.

This book doesn't mince words. It provides a tthorough overview of the essence of both Christianity & Islam & dispels any miths that they are a parallel faith. It gives hope in that the victory has already been won and we need to live in the light of that truth.