A Deadly Misunderstanding: A Congressman’s Quest to Bridge the Muslim-Christian Divide

Former congressman Siljander began his career as a zealous evangelical Christian, convinced that the Qur’an was “devil’s work.” In this memoir, Siljander recounts his “paradigm crash” after discovering that much of what he’d been taught about his faith was nowhere in the Bible, and that the Christian and Muslim religious texts are surprisingly compatible when studied in their original languages. He has since made it his life’s mission to find common ground between Christian and Muslim worlds, meeting with a dizzying list of political and religious leaders in the process. The result is an engaging story (despite somewhat stilted dialogue) sure to surprise and inspire many. Though he has no formal background in linguistics or religious studies, Siljander is deft at providing balance when discussing controversial subjects, and careful to show support from academics. Though his theological argument is based almost exclusively on the study of Muslim and Christian scriptures, in the current atmosphere it’s hard to argue with his dictum for what’s needed: “Making friends with the people you thought you hated. It’s that radical, that simple and that necessary.” (June)