Islam for the
Western Mind is an exploration into the history of Muhammad, the founding of Islam, and the writing of the
Koran. Though suitable for those individuals with little or no understanding of these aspects, the author does not dumb down any of the material or make generalizations. Instead, he takes the reader gently though the various topics explaining that indeed there are other interpretations, controversies, and complexities attributed to these circumstances. Not only does this give the reader some basic background
knowledge to understand this belief system and its
history but also gives them a place to start in further examinations of these and other related subjects. The thing that impressed me most about this book, however, was the author’s determined care to show these subjects in as unbiased way as humanly possible. The author understands that as a Presbyterian minister he has the natural inclination to either shout that Christianity holds ultimate beliefs or to illustrate the truths in Islam by noting its similarities to Christianity. I believe that the author did a tremendous job of achieving this objectivity while still managing to keep the information accessible to westerners without any previous knowledge in these areas.