Reza Aslan Quote

He was a man of profound contradictions, one day preaching a message of racial exclusion (I was sent solely to the lost sheep of Israel; Matthew 15:24), the next, of benevolent universalism (Go and make disciples of all nations; Matthew 28:19); sometimes calling for unconditional peace (Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God; Matthew 5:9), sometimes promoting violence and conflict (If you do not have a sword, go sell your cloak and buy one; Luke 22:36).

Reza Aslan

He was a man of profound contradictions, one day preaching a message of racial exclusion (I was sent solely to the lost sheep of Israel; Matthew 15:24), the next, of benevolent universalism (Go and make disciples of all nations; Matthew 28:19); sometimes calling for unconditional peace (Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God; Matthew 5:9), sometimes promoting violence and conflict (If you do not have a sword, go sell your cloak and buy one; Luke 22:36).

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About Reza Aslan

Reza Aslan (Persian: رضا اصلان, IPA: [ˈɾezɒː æsˈlɒːn]; born May 3, 1972) is an Iranian-American scholar of sociality, writer, and television host. A convert to evangelical Christianity from Shia Islam as a youth, Aslan eventually reverted to Islam but continued to write about Christianity. He has written four books on religion: No God but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam, Beyond Fundamentalism: Confronting Religious Extremism in the Age of Globalization, Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, God: A Human History and in 2022 An American Martyr in Persia: The Epic Life and Tragic Death of Howard Baskerville.
Aslan has worked for television, including a documentary series exploring world religions on CNN called Believer, and served as an executive producer on the HBO drama series The Leftovers. Aslan is a member of the American Academy of Religion and the International Qur'anic Studies Association. He is a professor of creative writing at University of California, Riverside, and a board member of the National Iranian American Council (NIAC).