The depravity of Islamic State has prompted some to recall Pope Benedict’s controversial Regensburg lecture as a prophetic wake-up call. Its real message was very different, and is of even greater relevance today It is not unusual for Christians to lose their bearings when trying to understand Islam. I have heard Anglicans lamenting that there is no “pope” who can speak for the whole of Islam, and Catholics calling for a “Muslim Reformation”. Ironically, the one Christian almost everyone thinks they know got Islam wrong has a helpful insight to offer the Church as she strives to discern how best to engage with an Islamic world in turmoil. But unpacking that insight means cutting through the misguided rhetoric and triumphalism of some of his champions.I refer