Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim, the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation
- ISBN13: 9780807077276
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Product Description
A young Muslim activist explains our critical need to counter the recruitment of youth by religious fundamentalists
Acts of Faith is Eboo Patel’s remarkable account of coming of age and coming to understand what led him toward religious pluralism rather than hatred. His story is a hopeful and moving testament to the power and passion of young people, and to the notion that we find the fulfillment of our identities in the work we do in the world.
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Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim, the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation
There is a fundamental problem dividing Islam and the Western Civilization: charging interest on the loans. This issue has no chances to be resolved: Islam is not changeable by its very nature and the Western World would not go to the pre-Elizabethian times.
And even if Islam would be changeable, it is worth to remember that it took the Reformation and a couple hundred years of wars to change Christendom’s attitude towards this matter.
Rating: 1 / 5
This book is in insightful and thoughtful. I consider this book an absolute must read!!!
Rating: 5 / 5
I have tended to be unimpressed with anything with the “interfaith” label. My limited experience with dialogues and meetings between those of different religious traditions hasn’t been real impressive. Remaining unoffensive often seems to be the unstated point of these conversations. Additionally, the ecumenical tone is often condescending, as if those who affirm their religion’s particularities have yet to be enlightened as have the interfaith advocates. Thankfully this bland elitism is nowhere to be found in Ebbo Patel’s memoir, Acts of Faith, about his experience with the interfaith movement, including founding the Chicago-based Interfaith Youth Core. In fact, by the end of the book I was ready to give the interfaith movement another chance.
Growing up in Chicago’s western suburbs as the child of Indian immigrants who practiced Ismaili Islam gave Patel a unique perspective on the role of religion in society. Acts of Faith documents his suburban childhood, college years at the University of Illinois, graduate school at Oxford, and a variety of adventures around the world. The common thread throughout these recollections is the search for identity as one who doesn’t fit the traditional American mold. American or Indian? Muslim by practice or culture? Scholar or activist? Cynic or optimist? Patel eventually came to claim his unique heritage along with the wisdom and experience from his varied and eclectic friendships.
As interesting as Patel’s story is, Acts of Faith is finally about something larger than any one person’s experience. The author believes that much of the religious violence in our day is due to the isolation and desperation experienced by young people around the world, of all religious traditions. He vividly describes how many terrorists are first recruited during their youth, when extremists take advantage of the desire to belong to a purposeful community. For Patel, the interfaith conversation isn’t about lowest common denominator committee meetings with a lot of talk and no action but a movement that offers an alternative to violence and death.
Acts of Faith is that rare book that instructs and inspires while telling a page-turning story. But what I most appreciated is where Patel’s story took him. Today he strongly advocates for interfaith conversation and service while simultaneously pushing for distinction among faiths. In other words, in order for a conversation to go somewhere, the participants have to actually believe what they are talking about regardless of whether they can agree on everything. According to Patel, the most effective co-laborers in the movement to counter religious extremists and terrorism are those of different faiths who know where they disagree and yet find shared conviction from which to work for the common good.
I recommend Acts of Faith to you whether or not the interfaith movement is of interest. In a time of continued polarity and separation, often by religion, Eboo Patel’s story is a genuine sign of life.
Rating: 5 / 5
My title summarizes what the author tries to stress in his book. I read it almost in one sitting. What I remember most was from the first few chapters where the Father of author kept saying things that I think most Muslims say and believe but never really say it. He said “I love the American people,but it is the government that does all the bombings” and “Muslims are dying by the thousands, and these people (America) don’t give a s**t.” Muslims are critical of the U.S. government and don’t have anything against Americans and if Osama thinks that he can target and kill any American for what the U.S. army does, including me, then he can stick his jihad where the sun doesn’t shine.
The point of the book can be summarized in what a man said to the author in regards to how a person becomes a terrorist. He said extremists don’t just walk into a mosque and say “excuse me, would you like to join me in blowing up London.” The extremists take their time in building strong relationships with their subjects and Mr. Patel suggests that we build the relationships before the extremists get their hands on them. I think that being a sociologist had given this man the vision to see the solution to ending terrorism. He needs to be given a job immediately in homeland security or under the new Secretary of State in the Obama cabinet. I would also suggest that the State Department hire me as well because I am from Yemen and I speak Arabic and English perfectly and I understand the background of terrorists very well.
Rating: 4 / 5
I was expecting more about the Interfaith Youth Core (not misspelled) that Mr. Patel started. It was more of a autobiography. It was ,however, well written and interesting.
Since I am an Evangelical Christian I always try to balance my belief that I want to respect other faiths, but also share mine. In the middle of the book I was trying to figure out what the author would think of that and how I could fit into a work like his.
My questions were answered in Chapter 8 (page 163)…excellent stuff.
I would recommend this book to anyone. It has excellent insights for the faithful believer, seeker or unbeliever of any and all religions.
Rating: 5 / 5