First published 2010
Eliza Griswold examines the collision between Christianity and Islam along the tenth parallel, a line of latitude 700 miles north of the equator. More than half the world's 1.3 billion Muslims live along this geographical boundary, alongside sixty percent of the world's 2 billion Christians. Griswold spent seven years as an investigative journalist traveling this ideological front line through Nigeria, Sudan, Somalia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. She reports from buzzing megacities and dense jungles across Africa and Asia where these two faiths intersect. Her investigation reveals that religious conflicts stem from disputes over tangible resources like land and water. The encounters between Christianity and Islam in these regions shape the future of both religions and transform entire societies. Griswold shows readers how geographical boundaries become ideological battlegrounds where faith and survival intertwine.
Genres: history, non-fiction, journalism, christianity, islam, current-affairs, africa, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: ideological-battlegrounds, investigative-journalism
Setting: Nigeria, Sudan, Somalia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines
336 pages · Hardcover · Farrar, Straus and Giroux