SummaryToday, when many in the West think about the Islamic religion, the immediate thought that follows is terrorism. There are several reasons for this, not least the media attention circulating on the evening news. These show Muslims hijacking planes or trains, committing suicide bombings, taking another prisoner who dared to question their authority, or declaring war against Israel or other Muslims who do not believe after doing so. In Islam: The Straight Path, John Esposito attempts to address many common misconceptions that those on the outside looking in have about this great world religion that counts more than a billion people as its followers. Esposito begins by tracing the historical development of Islam from its humble beginnings with Muhammad and his revelation of the Quran. It describes the fundamental tenets of the faith found in the Quran, along with its development through the expansion of the Golden Age of Islam during the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates. It continues to look at its growth and broadening into the modern period, where “neo-revivalists” attempted to harmonize the fundamental principles of Islam with the ever-growing thoughts of Western-dominated and enlightened contemporary life. Despite all this, although necessary changes have occurred as time has passed, Islam has been able to keep its core beliefs relatively intact and this has led to a stronger commitment and foundation to their faith and practice. Esposito then proceeds to elaborate on the fundamental principles of Islam. It describes the fundamental theology of Islam and, with it, the historical development of Islamic law, including its sources, reasoning and, of course, the different interpretations about it. I... middle of paper... second largest religion. Today Islam is alive and vibrant. The future looks promising, although there are challenges it must overcome if it is to persist. Internal challenges include divisions and factions that emerge through power struggles or to justify a strong belief. External challenges include misinterpretations about its beliefs and practices; scare because of his extremist followers; or total hatred for the Islamic religion. If history were to give us a clue, though, there's nothing to worry about. As in the past, Islam will survive and thrive in any environment. If Christians want to be part of a world that may soon be a world with more Muslims than Christians, they must begin to understand their beliefs and practices and work side by side for the good of humanity. Only then will they flower.