This thesis answers the question, "What do twenty-first century American evangelical Christians think about Islam and why do they think that way?" The dominant perception of these Christians is that Islam is a cosmic challenger to Christianity. In other words, Islam and Christianity are in an existential competition to win souls. This thesis utilizes perceptions of Islam as the analytical reference point by which to better understand American evangelicals. The driving hypothesis is that some things about what and why evangelicals think about Islam will reveal broader conclusions about evangelicals themselves. Evangelical Christian literature is broken down into four classifications: informational, prophetic, apologetic, and missional. In the end, consideration of Islam and Muslims leads evangelicals to either an activist impulse or missional impulse.Middle Eastern StudiesPublic Affair
