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Ecumenical Jihad: Ecumenism and the Culture War
Juxtaposing "ecumenism" and "jihad", two words that many would consider strange and at odds with each other, Peter Kreeft argues that we need to change our current categories and alignments. We need to realize that we are at war and that the sides have changed many of our former enemies (e.g. Muslims) are now our friends, and some of our former friends (e.g. humanists) are now our enemies. Documenting the spiritual and moral decay that has taken hold of modern society, Kreeft issues a wake-up call to all God-fearing Christian, Jews and Muslims to unite together in a "religious war" against the common enemy of godless secular humanism, materialism and immorality.
Aware of the deep theological differences of these monotheistic faiths, Kreeft calls for a moratorium on our polemics against each other so that we can form an alliance to fight together to save western civilization. He cites numerous examples of today's Protestants, Jews, Catholics and Muslims working together to solve moral and spiritual problems. God is calling for this unity, Kreeft says, and if we respond, God will do something wonderful.
Aware of the deep theological differences of these monotheistic faiths, Kreeft calls for a moratorium on our polemics against each other so that we can form an alliance to fight together to save western civilization. He cites numerous examples of today's Protestants, Jews, Catholics and Muslims working together to solve moral and spiritual problems. God is calling for this unity, Kreeft says, and if we respond, God will do something wonderful.
172 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1996
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About the author
Peter Kreeft
197 books1,072 followersPeter Kreeft is an American philosopher and prolific author of over eighty books on Christian theology, philosophy, and apologetics. A convert from Protestantism to Catholicism, his journey was shaped by his study of Church history, Gothic architecture, and Thomistic thought. He earned his BA from Calvin College, an MA and PhD from Fordham University, and pursued further studies at Yale. Since 1965, he has taught philosophy at Boston College and also at The King’s College. Kreeft is known for formulating “Twenty Arguments for the Existence of God” with Ronald K. Tacelli, featured in their Handbook of Christian Apologetics. A strong advocate for unity among Christians, he emphasizes shared belief in Christ over denominational differences.
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January 26, 2022A moving call to arms against a Godless world.
In a nutshell, Peter Kreeft views religious orthodoxy as the only antidote to moral decay. This goes for all major Western faiths and even the Eastern ones. In a world where people saying stuff like "I hate all religion" is seen as acceptable and where bringing up God in public is condemned as antiquated and backwards, the only way to fight is to be fanatical. We cannot budge even one inch on our beliefs and morals to accommodate for people's feelings and emotions and political ideologies. The only good fanaticism is fanaticism for God because he is all good. His commandment is to love him with all our minds, bodies, and souls. This is a fanatical devotion, surrender, Islam (as Kreeft repeatedly says). This commandment is common to Christianity, Judaism, and Islam and should unite us on the common front against the Devil's influence on society.
Modernity has a way of stripping religion of its devotion to God, reducing it to the equivalent of a fancy club membership. Any true believer cannot accept this. If we are to save souls (and maybe society), we will need to embrace orthodoxy and fundamentalism more than ever. We must take back what it truly means to be a Jew, Muslim, and Christian.
(Now, I will note here that Kreeft never forgets to remind us that we can condemn acts but not people. Being sticklers but being sticklers with Love is the key.)
Chapters 1-4 are the most dated at times, but most of the stats and the general state of society still ring true twenty years after the book's original publication. If anything, the sex obsession and militant civil liberties movements have been magnified by the rise of digital technology. Beyond a doubt, the Devil has made great use of the internet to advance his sinister agenda. I had already reached many of Kreefts conclusions and observations on my own but found my ideas laid out in a more structured way in these chapters. The spiritual war has been going on since the Fall and will continue until the end of time.
The rest of the book was the highlight for me. I enjoyed Kreeft's throwbacks to classical dialogues in his chapters on what Christians can learn from other religions. His dialogue between Luther and Aquinas was amazing. Written like a true philosopher. I did not know the Koran had a chapter about the Virgin Mary, essentially acknowledging the Immaculate Conception and the sinlessness of Jesus Christ, which is a great point of division between Protestant and Catholic Christians (the Mary part).
Kreeft's concluding remarks on the power of the Eucharist to transform the world were extremely moving. They reminded me how radical, beautiful, and mysterious my religion is.
In a nutshell, Peter Kreeft views religious orthodoxy as the only antidote to moral decay. This goes for all major Western faiths and even the Eastern ones. In a world where people saying stuff like "I hate all religion" is seen as acceptable and where bringing up God in public is condemned as antiquated and backwards, the only way to fight is to be fanatical. We cannot budge even one inch on our beliefs and morals to accommodate for people's feelings and emotions and political ideologies. The only good fanaticism is fanaticism for God because he is all good. His commandment is to love him with all our minds, bodies, and souls. This is a fanatical devotion, surrender, Islam (as Kreeft repeatedly says). This commandment is common to Christianity, Judaism, and Islam and should unite us on the common front against the Devil's influence on society.
Modernity has a way of stripping religion of its devotion to God, reducing it to the equivalent of a fancy club membership. Any true believer cannot accept this. If we are to save souls (and maybe society), we will need to embrace orthodoxy and fundamentalism more than ever. We must take back what it truly means to be a Jew, Muslim, and Christian.
(Now, I will note here that Kreeft never forgets to remind us that we can condemn acts but not people. Being sticklers but being sticklers with Love is the key.)
Chapters 1-4 are the most dated at times, but most of the stats and the general state of society still ring true twenty years after the book's original publication. If anything, the sex obsession and militant civil liberties movements have been magnified by the rise of digital technology. Beyond a doubt, the Devil has made great use of the internet to advance his sinister agenda. I had already reached many of Kreefts conclusions and observations on my own but found my ideas laid out in a more structured way in these chapters. The spiritual war has been going on since the Fall and will continue until the end of time.
The rest of the book was the highlight for me. I enjoyed Kreeft's throwbacks to classical dialogues in his chapters on what Christians can learn from other religions. His dialogue between Luther and Aquinas was amazing. Written like a true philosopher. I did not know the Koran had a chapter about the Virgin Mary, essentially acknowledging the Immaculate Conception and the sinlessness of Jesus Christ, which is a great point of division between Protestant and Catholic Christians (the Mary part).
Kreeft's concluding remarks on the power of the Eucharist to transform the world were extremely moving. They reminded me how radical, beautiful, and mysterious my religion is.
June 15, 2017
Published in 1996, I believe. A lot has changed since then. Still worth reading, probably.
May 18, 2024
THE CATHOLIC PHILOSOPHER SPEAKS ‘POSITIVELY’ ABOUT ISLAM, OTHER RELIGIONS
Peter John Kreeft is a professor of philosophy at Boston College and The King's College; he converted to Roman Catholicism during his college years.
He wrote in the Introduction to this 1996 book, “How unusual a juxtaposition: bringing together the two ideas of ecumenism and ‘jihad.’ … Old categories often obscure. The categories ‘liberal’ and ‘conservative’ are such categories… Ecumenism is a ‘liberal’ idea and one that makes ‘conservatives’ suspicious. ‘Jihad’ is a ‘conservative’ idea and one that makes ‘liberals’ suspicious. Bring these to ideas together in this book will probably make both sides suspicious… One of the main points of this book is that we need to change our current categories and our current alignments. We need to realize, first, that we are at war and, second, that the sides have changed radically: many of our former enemies (for example, Muslims) are now our friends, and some of our former friends (for example, humanists) are now our enemies.”
In the first chapter, he states, “Satan has pursued a Spectacularly Successful Seven-Step Sexual Strategy… The sexual revolution will quite possibly prove to be the most destructive revolution in history… because it touches not only LIVES but also the very wellsprings of LIFE… The most dramatic triumph of the sexual revolution… has surely been the enthronement of abortion… for abortion means the willingness to murder for the sake of the willingness to copulate… We are even willing to MURDER to preserve our so-called sexual freedom. And we will murder the most INNOCENT among us… the most defenseless of all… It is a miracle of black magic…explainable only by supernatural power… Argument is insufficient. America needs exorcism.” (Pg.15-17)
He outlines, “of possible solutions to this problem… There is only one. It has two parts… First principle: the foundation of social order is morality. Second principle: The foundation of morality is religion… No society has ever succeeded without morality… moral PRACTICE in America is declining at an alarmingly rapid rate. But now everyone knows that the decline of moral PRINCIPLES … is even more radical and more destructive… to disbelieve in principles is to burn the maps… Here is just a tiny sample of the evidence that the map-burning is in a very advanced state… a. Not one nonreligious law school in America teaches… the theory of a real Natural Moral Law… b. In a nationwide poll… only 11 percent of future teachers … said that among the different options they could in good conscience present to their students as alternative moral theories was the belief that there was a real, objective, absolute morality.” (Pg. 17-18) Later, he adds, “without religion, no morality, and without morality, no salvation of society or of individuals. BUT: there are two structural obstacles to this solution… One is the separation between our society and religion, and the other is the separation and split both within the Christian religion and among the religions of the world.” (Pg. 21)
He notes, “We must clearly distinguish at least five specifically different kinds or levels of ecumenism… First, there is Christian ecumenism… Second, there is Jewish-Christian ecumenism… Third, there is a Christian-Muslim ecumenism… Fourth, there is ecumenical unity with other religions that do not now the God of Abraham: Hinduism and Buddhism, for instance…Finally, even atheists and agnostics, if they are of good will and intellectual honesty and still believe in objective truth and objective morality, are on our side in the war against the powers of darkness.” (Pg. 28-31)
He suggests, “Islam, our ancient foe, is beginning to become our friend. If we did not balk at having Stalin’s followers as our allies against Hitler, we surely should not balk at having Muhammad’s followers as our allies against Satan… Why is Islam expanding so spectacularly?... to any Christian familiar with the Bible, the answer is obvious: because God keeps His promises and blesses those who obey His laws and fear him and punishes those who do not.” (Pg. 37-38)
He asserts, “Granted that most Muslims fail to understand the Christian paradox that SUFFERING LOVE is the most powerful of all weapons in spiritual warfare, is it not equally true… that most Christians today also fail to understand the Christian paradox that suffering love is the MOST POWERFUL of all weapons in spiritual warfare. Are Muslims the only ones left who … are still eager to enlist in God’s army?” (Pg. 43)
He argues, “we must distinguish good fanaticism from bad. All fanaticism is bad but one: fanaticism for God. Nothing else is infinitely good, nothing else deserves infinite passion… Unholy fanaticism is loud and pushy; holy fanaticism is quiet and humble...” (Pg. 58)
He observes, “The Holy Spirit seems to be working in other religions. There is only one Holy Spirit, and He is the Spirit of Truth, never of error. In studying His works, we are not studying something foreign and threatening, we are studying the Spirit and works of God, whenever His breath blows.” (Pg. 83) Later, he adds, “I suspected… that the explosive growth of Islam in our time might be due to a simpler cause than any sociologist has yet discovered: that God blesses obedience and faithfulness, especially when surrounded by unfaithful and disobedient cultures.” (Pg. 101)
He acknowledges about the Eucharist, “But we don’t FEEL this tremendous thing when we receive Communion. If this is really God… then why don’t we FEEL touched by the power, if we ARE touched by the power? Because Christ instituted the Eucharist partly to test and increase our faith, just as God tested Adam and Eve in Eden… God gave no reason, and no appearances, precisely so that Adam’s obedience would be based on sheer faith, blind faith.” (Pg.. 152)
He asks, “Do Hindus and Buddhists and Taoists seek the God we have found… even though they do not know Him as the God of Abraham? Is there a ‘hidden Christ of Hinduism’ and even of Buddhism and Taoism? If the Holy Spirit had not given Saint Paul the Macedonian vision and Paul had proceeded with his plans to take the gospel East instead of West… and if John’s Gospel had been written in Chinese… would it have begun by asserting that ‘in the beginning was the Tao, and the Tao was with God and the Tao was God… and the Tao became flesh and dwelt among us’? …because [God] is ultimate truth and ultimate reality, isn’t this the same thing the Taoist worships, and the Hindu and the Buddhist, under wrong theological ideas, or confused ones, or none at all? Perhaps.” (Pg. 160-161)
He concludes, “Perhaps in Heaven the most ardent worshippers of the Eucharistic Christ will be the ‘outsiders,’ like pious Muslims. Even now, without the Eucharistic Christ, they pray five times a day… how about us? How often do we pray? The power that will reunite the Church and win the world is Eucharistic adoration. These two things—reuniting the Church and winning the world---are part of the same package deal, the same providential program: the ‘ecumenical jihad.’” (Pg. 164)
An unusual book, to be sure. Many of the conservatives who agree with Kreeft’s opposition to abortion and his position in a ‘Culture War,’ would be strongly opposed to his sympathetic presentation of Islam. Conversely, the liberals who would support his ecumenism would be aghast at his political and religious beliefs. Controversial, it’s nevertheless well worth reading.
Peter John Kreeft is a professor of philosophy at Boston College and The King's College; he converted to Roman Catholicism during his college years.
He wrote in the Introduction to this 1996 book, “How unusual a juxtaposition: bringing together the two ideas of ecumenism and ‘jihad.’ … Old categories often obscure. The categories ‘liberal’ and ‘conservative’ are such categories… Ecumenism is a ‘liberal’ idea and one that makes ‘conservatives’ suspicious. ‘Jihad’ is a ‘conservative’ idea and one that makes ‘liberals’ suspicious. Bring these to ideas together in this book will probably make both sides suspicious… One of the main points of this book is that we need to change our current categories and our current alignments. We need to realize, first, that we are at war and, second, that the sides have changed radically: many of our former enemies (for example, Muslims) are now our friends, and some of our former friends (for example, humanists) are now our enemies.”
In the first chapter, he states, “Satan has pursued a Spectacularly Successful Seven-Step Sexual Strategy… The sexual revolution will quite possibly prove to be the most destructive revolution in history… because it touches not only LIVES but also the very wellsprings of LIFE… The most dramatic triumph of the sexual revolution… has surely been the enthronement of abortion… for abortion means the willingness to murder for the sake of the willingness to copulate… We are even willing to MURDER to preserve our so-called sexual freedom. And we will murder the most INNOCENT among us… the most defenseless of all… It is a miracle of black magic…explainable only by supernatural power… Argument is insufficient. America needs exorcism.” (Pg.15-17)
He outlines, “of possible solutions to this problem… There is only one. It has two parts… First principle: the foundation of social order is morality. Second principle: The foundation of morality is religion… No society has ever succeeded without morality… moral PRACTICE in America is declining at an alarmingly rapid rate. But now everyone knows that the decline of moral PRINCIPLES … is even more radical and more destructive… to disbelieve in principles is to burn the maps… Here is just a tiny sample of the evidence that the map-burning is in a very advanced state… a. Not one nonreligious law school in America teaches… the theory of a real Natural Moral Law… b. In a nationwide poll… only 11 percent of future teachers … said that among the different options they could in good conscience present to their students as alternative moral theories was the belief that there was a real, objective, absolute morality.” (Pg. 17-18) Later, he adds, “without religion, no morality, and without morality, no salvation of society or of individuals. BUT: there are two structural obstacles to this solution… One is the separation between our society and religion, and the other is the separation and split both within the Christian religion and among the religions of the world.” (Pg. 21)
He notes, “We must clearly distinguish at least five specifically different kinds or levels of ecumenism… First, there is Christian ecumenism… Second, there is Jewish-Christian ecumenism… Third, there is a Christian-Muslim ecumenism… Fourth, there is ecumenical unity with other religions that do not now the God of Abraham: Hinduism and Buddhism, for instance…Finally, even atheists and agnostics, if they are of good will and intellectual honesty and still believe in objective truth and objective morality, are on our side in the war against the powers of darkness.” (Pg. 28-31)
He suggests, “Islam, our ancient foe, is beginning to become our friend. If we did not balk at having Stalin’s followers as our allies against Hitler, we surely should not balk at having Muhammad’s followers as our allies against Satan… Why is Islam expanding so spectacularly?... to any Christian familiar with the Bible, the answer is obvious: because God keeps His promises and blesses those who obey His laws and fear him and punishes those who do not.” (Pg. 37-38)
He asserts, “Granted that most Muslims fail to understand the Christian paradox that SUFFERING LOVE is the most powerful of all weapons in spiritual warfare, is it not equally true… that most Christians today also fail to understand the Christian paradox that suffering love is the MOST POWERFUL of all weapons in spiritual warfare. Are Muslims the only ones left who … are still eager to enlist in God’s army?” (Pg. 43)
He argues, “we must distinguish good fanaticism from bad. All fanaticism is bad but one: fanaticism for God. Nothing else is infinitely good, nothing else deserves infinite passion… Unholy fanaticism is loud and pushy; holy fanaticism is quiet and humble...” (Pg. 58)
He observes, “The Holy Spirit seems to be working in other religions. There is only one Holy Spirit, and He is the Spirit of Truth, never of error. In studying His works, we are not studying something foreign and threatening, we are studying the Spirit and works of God, whenever His breath blows.” (Pg. 83) Later, he adds, “I suspected… that the explosive growth of Islam in our time might be due to a simpler cause than any sociologist has yet discovered: that God blesses obedience and faithfulness, especially when surrounded by unfaithful and disobedient cultures.” (Pg. 101)
He acknowledges about the Eucharist, “But we don’t FEEL this tremendous thing when we receive Communion. If this is really God… then why don’t we FEEL touched by the power, if we ARE touched by the power? Because Christ instituted the Eucharist partly to test and increase our faith, just as God tested Adam and Eve in Eden… God gave no reason, and no appearances, precisely so that Adam’s obedience would be based on sheer faith, blind faith.” (Pg.. 152)
He asks, “Do Hindus and Buddhists and Taoists seek the God we have found… even though they do not know Him as the God of Abraham? Is there a ‘hidden Christ of Hinduism’ and even of Buddhism and Taoism? If the Holy Spirit had not given Saint Paul the Macedonian vision and Paul had proceeded with his plans to take the gospel East instead of West… and if John’s Gospel had been written in Chinese… would it have begun by asserting that ‘in the beginning was the Tao, and the Tao was with God and the Tao was God… and the Tao became flesh and dwelt among us’? …because [God] is ultimate truth and ultimate reality, isn’t this the same thing the Taoist worships, and the Hindu and the Buddhist, under wrong theological ideas, or confused ones, or none at all? Perhaps.” (Pg. 160-161)
He concludes, “Perhaps in Heaven the most ardent worshippers of the Eucharistic Christ will be the ‘outsiders,’ like pious Muslims. Even now, without the Eucharistic Christ, they pray five times a day… how about us? How often do we pray? The power that will reunite the Church and win the world is Eucharistic adoration. These two things—reuniting the Church and winning the world---are part of the same package deal, the same providential program: the ‘ecumenical jihad.’” (Pg. 164)
An unusual book, to be sure. Many of the conservatives who agree with Kreeft’s opposition to abortion and his position in a ‘Culture War,’ would be strongly opposed to his sympathetic presentation of Islam. Conversely, the liberals who would support his ecumenism would be aghast at his political and religious beliefs. Controversial, it’s nevertheless well worth reading.
February 2, 2013
Just finished this book tonight. There is so much in here, and so much to think about. I give it only 3 stars because there were so many different styles it got a little confusing in the book. But it was very imaginative, concrete and prayerful. This book scares off people because of the title, but its definitely a good read for all Christians so that we can start working towards a goal...
. There are some concepts I definitely did not agree with, however what I loved is that he describes Catholics and Protestants as having the same religion, but different theologies. And because he is writing from a Catholic perspective, and because he converted from a Protestant viewpoint, it helps to bridge some of the gaps between the two and helps to form a very successful dialogue between the two groups.
It also does a great job of reaching out to other religions, and how we as Christians can and need to learn from them, without denying the uniqueness of Christ. Brilliant!
. There are some concepts I definitely did not agree with, however what I loved is that he describes Catholics and Protestants as having the same religion, but different theologies. And because he is writing from a Catholic perspective, and because he converted from a Protestant viewpoint, it helps to bridge some of the gaps between the two and helps to form a very successful dialogue between the two groups.
It also does a great job of reaching out to other religions, and how we as Christians can and need to learn from them, without denying the uniqueness of Christ. Brilliant!
March 6, 2018
Wonderful
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