history
Historical analysis of religious developments, events, and theological movements relevant to apologetics.
Saul and Gideon: Revelation or Confusion? Paid Members Public
Saul and Gideon: revelation or error? An analysis of Sura 2:249 James M. Arlandson What happens when a passage in the Quran is erroneous, which can be compared with another sacred text? How do you clarify the mistake? Do you retreat to revelations no matter what? (The Quran comes
A Dialogue with a Saudi Muslim (9) Paid Members Public
* Part One, which has a brief Introduction * Part Two * Part Three * Part Four * Part Five * Part Six * Part Seven * Part Eight Soliman al-Buthe (or al-Buthi) wrote an Open Letter to Congress in 2005. Then he initiated a dialogue with me, so we decided on this sequence. 1. In 2005, I
A Dialogue with a Saudi Muslim (6) Paid Members Public
* Part One, which has a brief Introduction * Part Two * Part Three * Part Four * Part Five Soliman al-Buthe (or al-Buthi) wrote an Open Letter to Congress in 2005. Then he initiated a dialogue with me, so we decided on this sequence. 1. In 2005, I commented and asked questions about the
Muhammad, Lord of the Sent Ones? : Sauda bint Zam'ah Paid Members Public
Muhammad, Lord of the Sent Ones? SAUDA BINT ZAM’AH The following incident concerns a lady called Sauda bint Zam’ah. She was first married to one of the early Muslims, as-Sakran ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Abd Shams, who took her and seven of his friends and emigrated to Ethiopia to
The law of retaliation in the Quran and early Islam Paid Members Public
Muhammads ire for your eye The law of retaliation in the Quran and early Islam James M. Arlandson True Islam, the one taught by Muhammad, revives the law of retaliation or lex talionis, best known from the formulation "an eye for an eye" in the Torah. Traditional Muslims
Muhammads atrocity against the Qurayza Jews Paid Members Public
How Sad made him glad James M. Arlandson In AD 627, Muhammad committed an atrocity against the last remaining major tribe of Jews in Medina: the Qurayza. He beheaded the men and the pubescent boys and enslaved the women and children. In doing this, he wiped an entire tribe "
Church and Stateand the Sword Paid Members Public
James M. Arlandson Confusion too often prevails over discussions on the relation between the Church and the State. Things get even more complicated when the swordmilitary and law enforcementis brought into the debate. Should the Church be a State of sorts, as it has in some parts of its history?
An Open Letter to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Paid Members Public
September 6, 2006 Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Joel Richardson. Actually this is not my real name, but rather a pen name that I use when engaging in interfaith dialogue with Muslimsa labor of love which