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In Who Speaks for Islam? you suggest that the domestic terrorist Timothy McVeigh was a Christian. Why?

I refer to his writings. Another example is the Ku Klux Klan. When people hold a certain ideology, whether rooted in religion or some political thought, they [can] become radicalized, and that radicalization takes on symbolic language. When environmentalists become radicalized, they become environmental terrorists. When animal-rights activists become radicalized, they become animal-rights terrorists. Similarly, Muslim rhetoric takes on the symbols of the dominant social medium they are in. Timothy McVeigh's radical ideas, reflected in his writings, carry symbols of Christianity. Throughout history the KKK claimed to be sincere Christians. The religious ideology they hold is not the root of their radicalization, but it will necessarily be the context in which their ideas manifest.

How should evangelicals respond to what seems to be the spread of extremist Islam globally?

Evangelicals should respond the way everyone should respond. Understanding the cause of the problem is important. The data clearly show it is driven not by religious extremism but by extreme political ideology. Second, as a human family, look at the extremists as an outside group, rather than as an outgrowth of religion. This builds bridges between people of different faiths all fighting a common enemy. Let's not forget that Muslims are the primary victims of violent extremism. People in majority-Muslim countries, unlike Americans, say their greatest fear is terrorism. Third, evangelicals should help empower those trying to make positive change peacefully. At the end of the day, this battle is not for the soul of Islam. It's the road to reform.

The grievances terrorists champion are strategically chosen and ones the vast majority agree with. Others try to address these same issues peacefully. To the extent these people are effective, terrorists are seen as ineffective and their methods as barbaric. Finally, evangelicals should vocally and unequivocally denounce anti-Muslim hate speech. When prominent Christian leaders make degrading statements about Islam, it feeds [Osama] bin Laden's claim of an American "crusade" against Islam and Muslims. Hateful statements against what Muslims hold most dear are a gift to bin Laden and a slap to mainstream Muslims who fear and reject his methods and therefore should be seen as allies, not enemies, in the fight against violent extremism.

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Christianity Today wrote about the Common Word Conference at Yale University and has a special section on Islam.

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November 2008, Vol. 52, No. 11