Depending on whose figures one chooses to accept, there are between fifteen and eighteen million Jews in the world today. Therefore, although Judaism in many respects is the foundational basis for both Christianity and Islam, it is far, far smaller than either of its religious “offspring.” We shall eventually consider why that is the case. In addition, we need to note that almost half the world’s Jews live in Israel, another five or six million in the United States, and the rest are scattered throughout the remainder of the world, but mainly in the Northern Hemisphere.

I have been a Christian all my life. I have been an active ordained minister for more than two thirds of my life. In addressing the subject Trends in American Christianity, if I were allowed only one word to describe current trends in American Christianity, that word would be: concerned. I am considerably concerned about where Christianity is headed in the USA in the early twenty-first century.

Wherever Christianity is the predominate religion, especially in Europe and America, there is a growing concern among many Christians and secular westerners that Islam is attempting to reduce or overcome western global hegemony, preferably by permanent political, economic, and cultural pressure, but also by force, if necessary. Conversely, and equally alarmingly, in the Islamic world there is a growing concern that the West and Christianity are attempting forcibly to crush Islam. Both perceptions are dangerously incorrect. Nevertheless, the perceptions are real, and they represent the strongest trend in the world with respect to Islam. That is why “Trends in Islam” was the first of these four presentations about trends in western religions. These two misperceptions should be of great concern to all thoughtful citizens of our planet.

It is a very serious misjudgment for any western Christians to suppose that “Islam” has declared war on the West. Most certainly it has not. That is a deliberate and provocative calumny against Islam. It would be like saying that Americans are at war with North Korea or Russia. It would be like all foreigners fearing Americans because they might say of us, “They all have guns!”