Inside the Mind of bin Laden

Reading Group Studies Bin Laden for Understanding A group of Vanderbilt University professors meets regularly to ponder and debate the statements of Osama bin Laden, as reported in this week’s full-RNS article, linked above. Quote: The rhetoric is reasoned and well informed, not irrational. In addition to Scripture, he draws from current events and even […]

Reading Group Studies Bin Laden for Understanding

A group of Vanderbilt University professors meets regularly to ponder and debate the statements of Osama bin Laden, as reported in this week’s full-RNS article, linked above.

Quote:


The rhetoric is reasoned and well informed, not irrational. In addition to Scripture, he draws from current events and even respected scholars and war theory to justify his belligerence. But the rhetoric is weak theologically, [Richard McGregor, an assistant professor of Islamic studies] said.

“It does not have deep roots in the Quran or deep roots in Islamic law,” he said. “Yes, he quotes the Quran once in a while. But within the Islamic religion itself, this is very extreme. This is really on the edge.”

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