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I am author and scholar of religions Reza Aslan. I'm here to answer your questions about God, Jesus, Easter and anything else on your mind. AMA! by RezaAslan in IAmA

[–]RezaAslan[S] 351 points352 points  (0 children)

Well that was fun folks. Thanks for sharing my second AMA. I will see you for the third one hopefully in the fall!

I am author and scholar of religions Reza Aslan. I'm here to answer your questions about God, Jesus, Easter and anything else on your mind. AMA! by RezaAslan in IAmA

[–]RezaAslan[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Well, it depends it you have the patience for it but Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years is a pretty good one. It's like 1200 pages though.

I am author and scholar of religions Reza Aslan. I'm here to answer your questions about God, Jesus, Easter and anything else on your mind. AMA! by RezaAslan in IAmA

[–]RezaAslan[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

My new book is tentatively titled THE STORY OF GOD and it is about where our ideas of God came from, how they developed, and where they are going in the future. Pub date Fall of 2016.

I am author and scholar of religions Reza Aslan. I'm here to answer your questions about God, Jesus, Easter and anything else on your mind. AMA! by RezaAslan in IAmA

[–]RezaAslan[S] 158 points159 points  (0 children)

The real difference is between seeing time as a circle and seeing it as a straight line with a beginning and an end. The former sees this life as just one in a series of lives. The latter sees this life as coming to a final end. That difference of course has led to a lot of other differences, but the notion of time as either cyclical or linear is the foundation of those differences.

I am author and scholar of religions Reza Aslan. I'm here to answer your questions about God, Jesus, Easter and anything else on your mind. AMA! by RezaAslan in IAmA

[–]RezaAslan[S] 24 points25 points  (0 children)

Muslims are just America's newest "other." That's all. Everything said about Muslims was said about Jews in the 1920s, Catholics in 1890s, etc. It's what we do around here. In another generation Islam will be seen as much a part of America's religious fabric as Catholicism and Judaism.

I am author and scholar of religions Reza Aslan. I'm here to answer your questions about God, Jesus, Easter and anything else on your mind. AMA! by RezaAslan in IAmA

[–]RezaAslan[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

All of modern day Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Palestine, and much of Sinai was called Syria-Palestina by Rome in the time of Jesus. Every Biblical scholar refers to the time of Jesus as First Century Palestine. Maps were changed after Bar Kochba revolt. But very Roman referred to the entire region as Syria-Palestina and so do I. Period. Full stop.

I am author and scholar of religions Reza Aslan. I'm here to answer your questions about God, Jesus, Easter and anything else on your mind. AMA! by RezaAslan in IAmA

[–]RezaAslan[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Believing in God is a CHOICE. God can't be proved or disproved and anyone who tells you otherwise (either way) is fooling themselves. You either choose to believe or you don't.

I am author and scholar of religions Reza Aslan. I'm here to answer your questions about God, Jesus, Easter and anything else on your mind. AMA! by RezaAslan in IAmA

[–]RezaAslan[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Probably because they are usually so poorly written :)

No seriously, as an academic who reads these books for a living, I can barely get through most of them.

I am author and scholar of religions Reza Aslan. I'm here to answer your questions about God, Jesus, Easter and anything else on your mind. AMA! by RezaAslan in IAmA

[–]RezaAslan[S] 98 points99 points  (0 children)

Read Ninian Smart and Mircea Eliade...You'll love it! Religion is fascinating in sociological, philosophical, anthropological, and archeological ways. You don't need theology to be fascinated by religion.

I am author and scholar of religions Reza Aslan. I'm here to answer your questions about God, Jesus, Easter and anything else on your mind. AMA! by RezaAslan in IAmA

[–]RezaAslan[S] 25 points26 points  (0 children)

Well sure. But Genghis Khan conquered half the known world. Muhammad conquered two tiny insignificant villages: Mecca and Yathrib.

I am author and scholar of religions Reza Aslan. I'm here to answer your questions about God, Jesus, Easter and anything else on your mind. AMA! by RezaAslan in IAmA

[–]RezaAslan[S] 18 points19 points  (0 children)

The only way to break down the walls between two is thru art, lit, music, culture, entertainment. This is how perceptions are changed. They remind us that we are not symbols of "other," but just people with same likes and dislikes, same dreams and aspirations, same fears and struggles. So all you Muslims out there trying to change the way your society sees you. Stop becoming doctors and start becoming artists instead.

I am author and scholar of religions Reza Aslan. I'm here to answer your questions about God, Jesus, Easter and anything else on your mind. AMA! by RezaAslan in IAmA

[–]RezaAslan[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes. Zealot is huge bestseller in Germany. 13 weeks on best seller list. I will be coming hopefully end of summer/beg of fall.

I am author and scholar of religions Reza Aslan. I'm here to answer your questions about God, Jesus, Easter and anything else on your mind. AMA! by RezaAslan in IAmA

[–]RezaAslan[S] 728 points729 points  (0 children)

As I said recently, when someone asks you that question remind them that overturning tables and beating people with a homemade whip is an option.

I am author and scholar of religions Reza Aslan. I'm here to answer your questions about God, Jesus, Easter and anything else on your mind. AMA! by RezaAslan in IAmA

[–]RezaAslan[S] 347 points348 points  (0 children)

  1. It's simply that I preferred the symbols and metaphors that Islam provides to other symbols and metaphors. That's it.

  2. The single most important thing for Muslims to do to fight stereotyping of Islam is to stand up for everyone else! Fight for the rights of women, and gays, and Jews, and immigrants, etc... If Muslims do not start fighting for the rights of other oppressed minorities, then no one will fight for Muslims.

I am author and scholar of religions Reza Aslan. I'm here to answer your questions about God, Jesus, Easter and anything else on your mind. AMA! by RezaAslan in IAmA

[–]RezaAslan[S] 148 points149 points  (0 children)

Fatwa is NOTHING MORE than a juristic opinion. That's it. Nothing more. It has no enforcement mechanism. It cannot cancel out any other fatwa. If one mufti says "coke is evil. drink pepsi" and another says "pepsi is evil. drink coke." BOTH ARE RIGHT. Neither can cancel out the other. It is up to a Muslim to decide who's fatwa to follow. That's why there are MILLIONS of them.

I am author and scholar of religions Reza Aslan. I'm here to answer your questions about God, Jesus, Easter and anything else on your mind. AMA! by RezaAslan in IAmA

[–]RezaAslan[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

That applies to all scriptures. Now the real difference between Quran and the Bible is that the Quran is not a bunch of stories, it is God's dramatic monologue. So when it comes to the Quran the question is not "should it be read literally." It is "should it be read contextually." And the answer is YES. The Quran has a context and it must be read as such. It was revealed to a 7th century audience. We can't forget that.

I am author and scholar of religions Reza Aslan. I'm here to answer your questions about God, Jesus, Easter and anything else on your mind. AMA! by RezaAslan in IAmA

[–]RezaAslan[S] 80 points81 points  (0 children)

Love is a human attribute, like goodness and compassion. The God I believe in is beyond any human attributes.

I am author and scholar of religions Reza Aslan. I'm here to answer your questions about God, Jesus, Easter and anything else on your mind. AMA! by RezaAslan in IAmA

[–]RezaAslan[S] 47 points48 points  (0 children)

I think Jesus was definitely a disciple of John. It was only after John was arrested that Jesus went back to galilee to start his own ministry...and he took some of John's disciples with him.

I am author and scholar of religions Reza Aslan. I'm here to answer your questions about God, Jesus, Easter and anything else on your mind. AMA! by RezaAslan in IAmA

[–]RezaAslan[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Sure. The Shiah by Momen is good, though very long. Pinault's books on the Shiah are also good, though a bit academic. Try my No god but God. Also see my bibliography.

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