Exemplar and Commander

In Exemplar and Commander, Juan M. Irizarry offers a careful, text-first comparison of two of history's most influential figures: Jesus of Nazareth and Muhammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh. Rather than arguing for or against any faith tradition, this book begins with a disciplined method: read the primary sources directly, describe what they say honestly, and only then evaluate the moral authority they present.

The result is a clear contrast between two models of moral authority. One leads primarily through example and persuasion. The other leads through command and law. These models shape how each tradition approaches authority, obedience, violence, gender, law, and peace-not only in theory, but in lived history.

Written for thoughtful lay readers, this book avoids academic jargon while refusing oversimplification. It distinguishes authority from accuracy, description from judgment, and interpretation from apologetics. Difficult passages are neither ignored nor sensationalized. They are examined in plain view.

Exemplar and Commander does not ask readers to choose sides. It asks them to read carefully, think honestly, and recognize the costs of different kinds of authority. Whether one approaches the subject as a believer, skeptic, or simply a curious reader, this book offers a framework for understanding religion without caricature-and for judging it without evasion.