Beyond the series of conflicts that have stretched back decades in the Middle East, a new range of disputes, proxy wars, and conflicts have emerged in the region, all of which combine strategic and security concerns excacerbated by religious differences. Today Saudi Arabia and Iran are struggling for dominance in the region -- and this is playing out in ways ranging from extremist violence to civil war.
My guest today is a specialist on religious-inspired violence and on Jewish-Christian-Muslim relations. Charles Kimball is a Presidential Professor and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Oklahoma. He is the author of five books, including the oft-sited "When Religion Becomes Evil: Five Warning Signs," and its 2011 followup "When Religion Becomes Lethal: The Explosive Mix of Politics and Religion in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam." He was a guest of the Tulsa Committee on Foreign Relations.
