The Quran, Sharia, Violence, and Women. Understanding Islam, Part 1

Join the Theology in the Raw community to listen to my "Extra Innings" response to my conversation with Javad. What do Christians misunderstand about Islam? Is it inherently violent? Was it spread by the sword? What do Muslims believe about Christians, Sharia, women, the Quran, and the Hadith? In the first episode of our three-part series on Islam, Preston sits down with Dr. Javad Hashmi, a Muslim scholar and PhD candidate in Islamic Studies at Harvard University. The conversation explores the origins of Islam, what historians can know about Muhammad, the development of the Quran and Hadith, Sunni and Shia Islam, Sharia, early Muslim-Christian relations, Islamic empires, religious violence, ISIS and al-Qaeda, the treatment of women, and how Muslims view Christians and Americans. This conversation is not intended to settle every question or present one definitive account of Islam. It is an attempt to listen carefully, understand Islam’s internal diversity, and ask difficult questions without reducing an entire religious tradition to slogans or stereotypes. This is Part 1 of our series, Understanding Islam. CHAPTERS 00:00 Does the Quran Promote Violence? 00:43 What Is Islam, Really?…