I'm a Ph.D. in Islamic history (Ohio State, 2001) and work as a consultant, researcher and author
on the topics of Islam, Mahdism, Jihadism, Shi`ism, other Islamic sects, the Caliphate and Eschatology in general. During
the Reagan years I was an Arabic linguist in the 101st Airborne Division; later I was commissioned and trained as
a (Christian) Army chaplain, although eventually opting for an academic, rather than a military-pastoral, career. My
personal research specializations are Islamic eschatology (end of time beliefs), Mahdism, Islamic fundamentalism, jihadism,
the Hidden Imam and how all of these relate to modern politics. I am currently also working on a new book on the
caliphate, as both a historical institution and as envisioned today by Islamist groups like Hizb al-Tahrir.
Here's a link to an interview of me by the editor of the History News Network:
