Christian Jihad is a book written by two former Muslims—Ergun Mehmet Caner and Emir Fethi Caner. Both of these men are now devoted Christians who are at the forefront of the Muslim/Christian religious battle. Christian Jihad takes a very in depth look at violence and the Church. The main point of the book is the Crusades. The book opens with an act of violence that took place less than 20 years ago. This is just one of the many ripples that have shot out across time since the violence of the Crusades. Christian Jihad shows how a paradigm shift occurred within the church, from a non-violent stance to a view of conquering by the sword.
Before the crusades Christians had taken a non-violent stance against everything that came against them. This was the time of the martyrdoms. Slowly Christians were infiltrated into military service, which had once been closed off to them because of their beliefs. When Christianity was finally recognized as a religion the Roman Empire would not allow Christians to serve in the military, but over time the rules changed until only Christians were allowed to serve in the military. The time that was in between the shift of a non Christian military to a Christian military was a harsh time for Christians. The book records numerous incidents when Christian were exiled, tortured and even put to death for what they believed. It is surprising that the church could change its mind on something that at one time its leaders would gladly give their lives for. This change is what eventually sparked a religious war (or Jihad).
The book describes the overall way the church thought about violence in the beginning. The early Christians were poised for the return of Christ and they fully devoted every part of their lives to making preparations for His return. Warfare and battle had no place in their lives. God had commanded that Christians love unconditionally, so killing would be in violation of God’s word. In a sense Christians believed that they would impact the world more by not fighting back with force, but by instead showing great faithfulness in God and having no fear of the pain that was being inflicted upon them. Many people lost their lives for their faith. Some died in the far parts or the Roman Empire and others lost their lives in the coliseum. The problem really started when the Church became involved in the political world. The church became a pawn in the game of politics. Church leaders used it for their own personal gain. The view of pacifism slowly weakened and Christians were allowed to serve in the military as long as they kept the views of the church first and the views of the state second. Over time the military favored the service of Christians over that of nonbelievers. The church eventually lost all separation between itself and the political world of the day. The State started using the church in order to gain what they saw as important matters. These matters were not holy or true to what the Word of God said. This eventually led to the lie that was spread to Christians that eternal salvation could be obtained by serving the State in battle. This was the birth of Christian Jihad. The empire was united under the banner of hatred of one people: Muslims who were in the city of Jerusalem, which was considered a holy place for Christians. This sparked hundreds of years of warfare and the killing of Muslims and Jews that were in the Holy Land Israel. The damage done by the pillaging and raping done in the name of Christ Jesus is forever a dark point in the Christian Faith. The strife between Christians and Muslims is still strong. This book shows how people in power must be careful not to use the power for their own personal gain. The church was used and manipulated, not for the greater gain of the church but for the greater gain of the State. It is clear that the lie of finding salvation through bloodshed is nothing more than a lie. The only way for someone to find true forgiveness is Jesus Christ.
Before the crusades Christians had taken a non-violent stance against everything that came against them. This was the time of the martyrdoms. Slowly Christians were infiltrated into military service, which had once been closed off to them because of their beliefs. When Christianity was finally recognized as a religion the Roman Empire would not allow Christians to serve in the military, but over time the rules changed until only Christians were allowed to serve in the military. The time that was in between the shift of a non Christian military to a Christian military was a harsh time for Christians. The book records numerous incidents when Christian were exiled, tortured and even put to death for what they believed. It is surprising that the church could change its mind on something that at one time its leaders would gladly give their lives for. This change is what eventually sparked a religious war (or Jihad).
The book describes the overall way the church thought about violence in the beginning. The early Christians were poised for the return of Christ and they fully devoted every part of their lives to making preparations for His return. Warfare and battle had no place in their lives. God had commanded that Christians love unconditionally, so killing would be in violation of God’s word. In a sense Christians believed that they would impact the world more by not fighting back with force, but by instead showing great faithfulness in God and having no fear of the pain that was being inflicted upon them. Many people lost their lives for their faith. Some died in the far parts or the Roman Empire and others lost their lives in the coliseum. The problem really started when the Church became involved in the political world. The church became a pawn in the game of politics. Church leaders used it for their own personal gain. The view of pacifism slowly weakened and Christians were allowed to serve in the military as long as they kept the views of the church first and the views of the state second. Over time the military favored the service of Christians over that of nonbelievers. The church eventually lost all separation between itself and the political world of the day. The State started using the church in order to gain what they saw as important matters. These matters were not holy or true to what the Word of God said. This eventually led to the lie that was spread to Christians that eternal salvation could be obtained by serving the State in battle. This was the birth of Christian Jihad. The empire was united under the banner of hatred of one people: Muslims who were in the city of Jerusalem, which was considered a holy place for Christians. This sparked hundreds of years of warfare and the killing of Muslims and Jews that were in the Holy Land Israel. The damage done by the pillaging and raping done in the name of Christ Jesus is forever a dark point in the Christian Faith. The strife between Christians and Muslims is still strong. This book shows how people in power must be careful not to use the power for their own personal gain. The church was used and manipulated, not for the greater gain of the church but for the greater gain of the State. It is clear that the lie of finding salvation through bloodshed is nothing more than a lie. The only way for someone to find true forgiveness is Jesus Christ.