I ended the first half of this blog arguing that Sayyid Qutb’s definition of jihad, as total and permanent war until Islam reigns supreme in the world, was a throwback to the consensus of Muslim jurists and theologians in the classical period and a vigorous push back against the modern Islamic consensus that military jihad can only be justified in the case of foreign invasion. Let me unpack that here.

Thanks to Osama bin Laden and others like him, “jihad” has become a byword for terrorism and oppression and the source of much societal Islamophobia in recent days. Could the concept of jihad ever be a peaceful one? Guest blogger Dr. David Johnston opens up the issue, discusses the "sword verses" found in the Quran, and explains the actual history behind the idea of jihad.

A young pastor texted me when he heard that Osama Bin Laden had been killed. "Rick, is it wrong to be happy that someone who has been behind so much pain and suffering around the world is no longer able to do so?"

This last week we hosted an urban youth group from San Diego for a week of service. For the first teaching time, I taught them about the parable of the Good Samaritan. I asked the group to imagine how Jesus would have retold the story if he had walked the streets of San Diego. The first guy started in, without hesitation, and told the story of the Good Somali who helped the wounded Mexican.

Christiane Amanpour interviews New York Pastor Tim Keller about Christianity, America, and politics.

Most of us can relate to the frustrations of a 10-hour layover, but few know what it’s like to be held at the airport against their will. This afternoon I got a call about a Muslim friend who was detained at the airport for over 10 hours. Sadly, this isn’t the first time I’ve heard about things like this from my Muslim friends.

Today David Johnston continues his post from last week and endeavors to present readers with a pro-peace perspective on the Middle Eastern crisis. After explaining the roots of Christian Zionism and American Christianity, he goes on to explain the present situation in the Israel / Palestine area and to exhort Christians towards a pro-peace stance regarding the current conflict.

In this tiny and crowded piece of real estate, with numbers of Palestinians and Israelis soon to be equal (six million apiece), one has to go back to God’s original promise to Abraham and see God’s heart of love and compassion for all the nations. Yet as simple as this call to pray for both peoples together may seem, this turns out to be tough for us American evangelicals to do.

Pastor Joe was frustrated. "Rick," he said, "I am being accused of becoming liberal because I am seeking to love my Muslim neighbors." "I can relate," I assured him. "I have been accused of heresy and compromising the gospel because I am too positive toward Muslims and Islam."Here's what I told Pastor Joe...