Radicalization and Bold Mercy: Christian Theological Learning in Dialogue with the 2014 Open Letter

This essay highlights the role of mercy articulated in the 2014 Open Letter to al-Baghdadi, locates radicalization as a shared problem not restricted to vulnerable Muslim populations, and suggests factors that appear to account for it prior to the role of religious commitment (hate studies and social psychology). The Open Letter's statement and application of mercy become a lens for Christians to see anew their own tradition's recent attention to mercy up against two examples of white supremacist terror. This comparison suggests a new fruitful dialogue on mercy between Muslims and Christians can open up troubleshooting the root causes of—and possible responses to—radicalization.