American Christians and Islam: Evangelical Culture and Muslims from the Colonial Period to the Age of Terrorism by Thomas S. Kidd

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Synopsis

"Before Thomas Kidd's magisterial work, American Christians and Islam, no scholar had traced the long and convoluted history of Muslim-Christian exchange in the American experience from colonial beginnings to the present. Kidd brings a deep understanding of both traditions to his analysis and brilliantly demonstrates how so many contemporary American denunciations of Islam--especially evangelical denunciations--have a rich history that goes all the way back to the Age of Exploration and the first English settlements."--Harry S. Stout, Yale University"Though its emergence as one of the central concerns of our time took the secular-minded by surprise, the friction between Christianity and Islam--the world's two largest and most energetically missionary faiths--is nothing new in American history. As Thomas Kidd shows in this thoughtful and highly accessible account, the conflict runs like a thread through the American past. Knowing that history will provide us with valuable insights about the road ahead--and about ourselves."--Wilfred M. McClay, University of Tennessee"American Christians and Islam gives historical perspective on a timely topic. Kidd provides a thorough examination of the prism through which American evangelicals have viewed Islam, a prism consisting of fears, challenges, and opportunities. He offers an important chapter in the story of American attitudes toward Muslims. This book fills a gap in the scholarship of American religious culture."--Frank Lambert, author of Religion in American Politics"American Christians and Islam combines a timely subject, stylistic directness, and a broad scope to create an effective and useful historical survey of evangelical attitudesabout Islam that is accessible to a wide audience. Kidd provides succinct readings and elucidates important patterns and shifts that offer readers a revealing overview of the engagements of U.S. evangelical culture with the Islamic world."--Timothy W. Marr, author of The Cultural Roots of American Islamicism"A significant contribution to the field. There have been plenty of books on Western views of Islam, but none has focused exclusively or comprehensively on American Christian attitudes over such a long period. The scope and targeting of this book make it unique and pathbreaking."--Gerald R. McDermott, Roanoke College

Biography

Thomas Kidd is associate professor of history at Baylor University and resident scholar at Baylor's Institute for Studies of Religion. He is the author of "The Great Awakening: The Roots of Evangelical Christianity in Colonial America" and "The Protestant Interest: New England after Puritanism".