Youth, those who are the most vulnerable to influences, are the ones that religious extremists recruit. ‧ However, Patel and his friend found that young people rarely attended the meetings where they spoke. (http://chronicle.com/article/EvildoersUs/128910/). He describes how his parents utterly fail to grasp what he is going through in the public school system.

New York: . He delves into the absolute need for religious pluralism, especially when faced with the terrorist threats of extreme fundamentalist religios organizations - whose 'soldiers' are overwhelmingly young people who never had any opportunity to learn anything other than hate and fear. Yet I seek to understand why and what others believe. I still believe that today in 2013 those same characteristics are definitely what drives our own identity politics more then anything. He explains that many of the radical individuals who have been suicide bombers and terrorists were just ordinary youths who were influenced by religious totalitarians. "Acts of Faith" is Patel’s personal story of growing up in the suburbs of Chicago as a second generation Muslim immigrant from India. After graduation, Patel turned his attention to teaching students at an alternative school in northwest Chicago. Annoyed and not understanding why I had to wake up at 9:00 a.m on the weekends just to listen to a man talk for two hours.

Therefore, I docked 2 stars. He admired, for example, Habitat for Humanity because the organization encourages participants from varying backgrounds to offer diverse viewpoints and options in meeting challenges (p. 44). To be honest, I was biased at the outset with regards to this book.

Patel is an interfaith youth coordinator now, but his central point isn't that faith always makes people do great things. LIBRARY. A focus on mutual transformation as well as mutual understanding would have, I argue, added more depth and complexity to the work. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Either path gives it to them. | This book is basically the author's sales pitch for his interfaith group in the narrative form of his extremely multicultural, politically radical life. Key Figures. It’s not surprising that Obama grew up a rambunctious kid with a stubborn streak and an “I’ll show you” attitude.

A small organizational model should be perfected, tried, and tested before expanding it (p. 157). Always looming in the background is a continuum of religious attitudes—at one end is pluralism and at the other end, intolerance. What resonated with me the most was his assertion that individuals and organizations involved in interfaith work should assert their identities strongly and not compromise their theology or values for the sake of political expediency/correctness. Are there sections of this book that, to the casual reader, may seem a little overdone and ultimately extraneous (for instance, the evolution of Patel's intellectual development and early grassroots involvement in Chicago)?

We’d love your help. Therefore, they wont see the point in going to church, praying, or following any rituals. This American Muslim of Indian descent has written a fascinating and timely memoir about his calling to educate a new generation to the values of religious tolerance and service to all humanity. The writing is engaging and makes for a quick read. The lesson? The harsh reality of having to raise money was his greatest frustration. It's a good book... yet I felt profoundly misled once I looked outside this book to learn more of the author's Islamic faith. . Start by marking “Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim, the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation” as Want to Read: Error rating book.

Eboo Patel tells his story of growing up as the child of immigrant parents in the Midwest. LEGAL. When Patel wrote about his love life, it felt very disjointed and, while it was relevant for the most part, it interrupted the flow. The book can be very useful as a reading assignment in youth programs such as those in religious organizations, as well as campus interfaith projects and practices. Save Download. He manages to weave these three threads together into a really engaging story. Patel is an excellent writer and his journey from "white-washed" suburban desi to realistic pluralistic (after a stint as a revolutionary marxist) was riveting and inspiring. When I was younger I felt the same way Patel did. His interest in the Catholic Workers and other forms of volunteering came while attending the University of Illinois. Glanzer, P. L., & Ream, T. C. (2009).

Trouble is, religious extremists of all stripes are opening schools and programs to indoctrinate these youth in acts of violence.

Its a fascinating and super engaging look at one man's life and journey to understand his religious identity - and how that journey is universally experienced. Nice story, with a genuinely interesting message. Introduction-Chapter 2. One was his discovery about his father’s persistent efforts to help immigrants from his native country get their start in the US; these actions were his father’s way of practicing his faith through service to others—explained his mother—which had been a long-time family tradition in India. Ibram X. Kendi Despite the pervasive gang violence in their lives, many of his students experienced success as a result of his determination to teach them skills they needed, while recognizing and helping them to overcome the obstacles they faced.