--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Any acquaintance with recent history made…" description: "\"“Any acquaintance with recent history made nonsense of any claim that God was on the side of Christian states. As one scholar suggests, what turned Chr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11e/philip-jenkins-10529_christianity_any-acquaintance-with-recent-history-mad_479163.jpg" --- # Any acquaintance with recent history made nonsense of any… ![“Any acquaintance with recent history made nonsense of any claim that God was on the side of Christian states. As one scholar suggests, what turned Christians to Islam was “the common acceptance by Muslim and Christian alike of the error that the favor of God is shown by worldly success.”22…” quote by Philip Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11e/philip-jenkins-10529_christianity_any-acquaintance-with-recent-history-mad_479163.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11e/philip-jenkins-10529_christianity_any-acquaintance-with-recent-history-mad_479163.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11e/philip-jenkins-10529_christianity_any-acquaintance-with-recent-history-mad_479163.jpg) > ““Any acquaintance with recent history made nonsense of any claim that God was on the side of Christian states. As one scholar suggests, what turned Christians to Islam was “the common acceptance by Muslim and Christian alike of the error that the favor of God is shown by worldly success.”22 Self-evidently, Islam represented growth, expansion, and success, in contrast to the tattered shreds of Christianity. Any traveler could see the splendid mosques rising amid the landscape of ruined churches and deserted monasteries. The heart-breaking consistency of defeats, generation after generation, carried a deadly message.23”” [Philip Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-jenkins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He argues that historical successes of Islam versus Christian decline led many to view divine favor as linked to worldly power, not spiritual truth. **In simple terms:** Historical power shifts influence religious perceptions of divine favor. Key Takeaway Question assumptions about faith and power. Themes religion history power dynamics faith perception Mood thoughtful critical Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - political theology seminars - comparative religion courses - media analysis of religious narratives Key Concepts decline of institutions rise of empires interfaith dialogue Questions to Reflect On - How do we separate spiritual truth from political success? - Can faith thrive without worldly power? A Different Perspective Simplifies complex theological debates to power politics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Favor of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/favor-of-god/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) ## Related quotes > [“Though churches may lose political influence under Christian states or in predominantly Christian societies, though they might be secularized, they do not vanish anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-jenkins/though-churches-may-lose-political-influence-under-christian-states/) [Philip Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-jenkins/) > [“Looking at the sweep of Christian history, we are often reminded of this message of the transience of human affairs, and, based on that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-jenkins/looking-at-the-sweep-of-christian-history-we-are-often-reminded-of/) [Philip Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-jenkins/) > [I don't think it's a good thing to have Christian states, Muslim states, or any kind of ethnic states.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-finkelstein/i-don-t-think-it-s-a-good-thing-to-have-christian-states-muslim/) [Norman Finkelstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-finkelstein/) > [If there can be Muslim and Christian countries, why can't there be a Hindu country?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-kishan/if-there-can-be-muslim-and-christian-countries-why-can-t-there-be-a/) [Ravi Kishan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-kishan/) > [It may be politically incorrect to say, but it is nevertheless true that a terrorist today is exponentially more likely to be a Muslim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jeffress/it-may-be-politically-incorrect-to-say-but-it-is-nevertheless-true/) [Robert Jeffress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jeffress/) > [“We have much in common, whether Jew, Muslim, or Christian, only God can judge among us. 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China offers an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-jenkins/christianity-offers-similar-stories-and-the-global-christianity-that/) [Philip Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-jenkins/) > [“Where the African church failed was in not carrying Christianity beyond the Romanized inhabitants of the cities and the great estates, and not sinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-jenkins/where-the-african-church-failed-was-in-not-carrying-christianity/) [Philip Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-jenkins/) > [“Christians believe that God speaks through history; and only by knowing that history can we hope to interpret momentous events like the Japanese persecutions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-jenkins/christians-believe-that-god-speaks-through-history-and-only-by/) [Philip Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-jenkins/) > [“Perhaps theological attempts to explain the destruction of churches or of “Christian nations” are asking the wrong question, if they judge success and failure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-jenkins/perhaps-theological-attempts-to-explain-the-destruction-of-churches/) [Philip Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-jenkins/) > [“Another difficulty with the reservation scheme was that it reinforced the popular association of Christianity with foreign imperialism, and thus with enmity to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-jenkins/another-difficulty-with-the-reservation-scheme-was-that-it-reinforced/) [Philip Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-jenkins/) > [“Far from anti-Christian purges ceasing with the official end of war in 1918, they actually intensified during the ensuing war between Greece and Turkey.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-jenkins/far-from-anti-christian-purges-ceasing-with-the-official-end-of-war/) [Philip Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-jenkins/) > [“Middle Eastern Christians, in short, tried every possible tactic to survive and flourish, and their efforts have largely failed. 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