Reza Aslan is inspired by a calling.

Question: What inspires you?

Reza Aslan:    I’d like to sit here and pretend that, you know, I had sort of a flash of light come down upon me and a heavenly voice that said, “You must now go forth and explain me to the world.”  But I didn’t.  And in a way I sort of feel like this position, you know, as a public explainer of religions, just sort of came to me.  And it was a responsibility that I really felt I could not get away from.  I mean it does feel like a calling to me in some ways, and so I treat it as a calling; but that said, I couldn’t image doing anything else.  I mean I love my life.  I love being able to think out loud and being able to affect the way other people think.  I think, you know, you could only hope for a better job than that.

July 23, 2007