Dr. Charles Kimball is Presidential Professor and Director of the Religious Studies Program at the University of Oklahoma. A graduate of Oklahoma State University, Professor Kimball holds an M.Div. from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Th.D. from Harvard University in Comparative Religion with a specialization in Islamic studies. Before joining the University of Oklahoma, Professor Kimball taught for 12 years at Wake Forest University, where he was Professor of Comparative Religion. An ordained Baptist minister, Professor Kimball is a frequent lecturer and an expert analyst on issues on the Middle East, Islam, Jewish-Christian-Muslim relations, and the intersection of religion and politics in the United States. From 1983 to 1990, he was the Director of the Middle East Office at the National Council of Churches. During the past 25 years, Professor Kimball has visited the Middle East more than 35 times and has worked with Congress, the White House, and the State Department. Professor Kimball is the author of four books, including When Religion Becomes Evil (named one of the Top 15 Books on Religion for 2002 by Publishers Weekly) and Striving Together: A Way Forward in Christian-Muslim Relations.