There’s a certain intimidation when picking up a book my Miroslav. His writing is so approachable and easy to read, but you still find yourself stopping after every paragraph because it makes you think. His latest book, Allah: A Christian Response, is no different.

Volf argues in the book that Muslims and Christians worship the same God. He doesn’t mean we worship the same kind of God, or the same Godlike concept, but the actual same God. He makes a powerful case for it, quoting such ancient sources as Augustine, Luther, and several Popes who felt the same way … or at least wrote papers supporting that view.

The book systematically goes through all the objections to the premise and does a good job of keeping the arguments reasonable. Miroslav’s writing style makes this especially helpful, and his passion for interfaith dialogue keeps the approach respectful. In fact, he claims that if Christians and Muslims are to live with each other, we must learn to accept that we worship the same God. An interesting — and compelling — argument.

I view a book like this with some caution. Not because it’s a controversial position, but because I realize that I’m just not quite smart enough to know if the arguments carry the debate. There are those who disagree — vehemently — with Miroslav (both Muslim and Christian voices). For me, both before and after reading the book, I tend to favor Miroslav’s viewpoint.

One of the things I really appreciated about the book was the exposure it gave me to Islam. I know a few things about the faith, but I’m not as well versed as I should be. This book helped on that front … though I still have a long ways to go!

It’s a good book. Groundbreaking in many ways. And it’s sure to be one of those books people cite for decades to come. If it’s a topic that intrigues you, you’ll enjoy it.