Social groups: religious groups and communities Books

Book SynopsisThis collection of essays offers a new paradigm, in which the trans-Saharan and trans-Atlantic worlds of slavery are brought into focus under the same lens. While slave studies have considered either trans-Atlantic or Islamic slavery, rarely has any study combined the enslavement of Africans in America and the Lands of Islam in one volume. Both the Saharan and Atlantic worlds imported enslaved populations from western and central Sudan, but in general the two markets have been treated in isolation and without reference to the common bond of Islam and the multiple roles that Islam has played in the history of slavery, whether in West Africa itself, the Americas, or the Islamic Mediterranean. Western Africa served as the point of dispersion across desert and sea, but it was also the final destination of many of those who were enslaved but who were not transported across the Atlantic or the Sahara. The relationship between Islam and slavery is explored as a series of frontiers: in the Americas between enslaved Muslims and their Christian masters and the types of resistance and accommodation that arose there; in West Africa between Muslim and non-Muslim societies and the attempts at defining who was a Muslim in terms of issues of enslavement; in North Africa between Muslim masters and the enslaved population from West Africa and the popularity of spirit possession cults. The resistance of Muslims to assimilation and the accommodation of Muslims to bondage also created other frontiers that are explored in this book.

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Book SynopsisThe phrase ""I am Catholic, but I am Jewish"" may seem contradictory to some, but in the Caribbean islands and the countries of the Caribbean periphery, there are hundreds if not thousands of individuals who identify themselves in this manner and can trace their ancestry back to the early Sephardim of the Dutch island of Curacao.The nineteenth century was a time of great political and economic upheaval in the Caribbean, precipitating waves of migration away from stagnant economies, revolutions, and religious persecution. ""The Sephardic Jews of Curacao"" were active participants in this changing environment. They left the recessionary economy of the Dutch island in search of better opportunities in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands; Coro, Venezuela; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Barranquilla, Colombia; and many other Caribbean ports.Here, the Lopez Penhas, De Marchenas, Delvalles, Capriles, Sassos, Seniors, Curiels, Salas, and Alvarez Correas involved themselves in all aspects of their new abodes. They were retailers, traders, politicians, poets, industrial entrepreneurs, doctors, lawyers, and other professionals, each contributing in their own way to the economic and cultural growth of the countries that became their homes. Over time, they and their descendants fully assimilated into their host communities. Yet, throughout the centuries, the generations that came after them continued to remember their Sephardic, Curacaoan heritage. This book tells their stories.

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Book SynopsisIn an era of increasing interaction between the United States and the countries of the Middle East, it has become ever more important for Americans to understand the social forces that shape Middle Eastern cultures. Based on years of his own field research and the ethnographic reports of other scholars, anthropologist Philip Carl Salzman presents an incisive analysis of Middle Eastern culture that goes a long way toward explaining the gulf between Western and Middle Eastern cultural perspectives. Salzman focuses on two basic principles of tribal organization that have become central principles of Middle Eastern life—balanced opposition (each group of whatever size and scope is opposed by a group of equal size and scope) and affiliation solidarity (always support those closer against those more distant). On the positive side, these pervasive structural principles support a decentralized social and political system based upon individual independence, autonomy, liberty, equality, and responsibility. But on the negative side, Salzman notes a pattern of contingent partisan loyalties, which results in an inbred orientation favoring particularism: an attitude of my tribe against the other tribe, my ethnic group against the different ethnic group, my religious community against another religious community. For each affiliation, there is always an enemy. Salzman argues that the particularism of Middle Eastern culture precludes universalism, rule of law, and constitutionalism, which all involve the measuring of actions against general criteria, irrespective of the affiliation of the particular actors. The result of this relentless partisan framework of thought has been the apparently unending conflict, both internal and external, that characterizes the modern Middle East.Trade Review"While tribalism is in one sense culturally pervasive in the Middle East, tribal practices are less swathed in sacredness than explicitly Koranic symbols and commandments--and are therefore more susceptible to criticism and debate. Even jihad and suicide bombing can be interpreted through a tribal lens. We've taught ourselves a good deal about Islam over the past seven years. Yet tribalism is at least half the cultural battle in the Middle East, and the West knows little about it. Learning how to understand and critique the Islamic Near East through a tribal lens will open up a new and smarter strategy for change. The way to begin is by picking up Salzman's Culture and Conflict in the Middle East." -- Stanley Kurtz, Weekly Standard, 14th April 2008. "Salzman has made an important contribution that is must reading." --Jewish Voice and Opinion, Englewood, NJ, September 2008Table of ContentsIntroduction; Making a Living in the Middle East: Life in the Valleys, Deserts, and Mountains; Friends and Enemies: Security and Defence in the Middle East; Defence and Offence: Honour and Rank in the Middle East; Turning Toward the World: Tribal Organisation and Predatory Expansion; Tribe and State: The Dynamics of Incompatibility; Root Causes: The Middle East Today and Tomorrow; References; Index.

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Book SynopsisThis book is the summation of many decades of work by Peter L. Berger, an internationally renowned sociologist of religion. Secularization theory—which saw modernity as leading to a decline of religion—has been empirically falsified. It should be replaced by a nuanced theory of pluralism. In this new book, Berger outlines the possible foundations for such a theory, addressing a wide range of issues spanning individual faith, interreligious societies, and the political order. He proposes a conversation around a new paradigm for religion and pluralism in an age of multiple modernities. The book also includes responses from three eminent scholars of religion: Nancy Ammerman, Detlef Pollack, and Fenggang Yang.

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Book SynopsisThroughout the Middle East, and in the west as well, there has been much discussion concerning the notion of Islamic rule and the application of shari‘ah by the state. Central to these debates are the three key themes that Mohammad Abed al-Jabri looks at in this book: democracy, human rights and law. Jabri, one of the most influential political philosophers in the contemporary Middle East, examines how these three concepts have been applied in the history of the Arab world, and shows that they are determined by political and social context, not by Islamic doctrine. Jabri argues that in order to develop democratic societies in which human rights are respected, the Arab world cannot simply rely on old texts and traditions. Nor can it import democratic models from the West. Instead, he says, a new tradition will have to be forged by today's Arabs themselves, on their own terms. Through analysis of contemporary Arab ideology, its doubts about democracy, whether human rights are universal and the role of women and minorities in Islamic society, he expounds on the most pertinent issues in modern political philosophy. This lively interrogation of the building blocs of western conceptions of a modern state is a classic text and is vital for all students of modern Islamic political thought. Mohammed Abed al-Jabri (1936-2010) was Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of Rabat. As one of the most influential political philosophers in the contemporary Arab world, he authored many acclaimed books including, in Arabic: The Structure of Arab Reason, Arab Political Reason' and Arab Ethical Reason, and in English: The Formation of Arab Reason: Text, Tradition and the Construction of Modernity in the Arab World (I.B.Tauris, 2011).Table of ContentsVOLUME I: Religion, State and the Application of Islamic Shari‘ah Part One: The Question of Religion and the State Chapter 1: Religion and the State in the Authoritative Cultural Referent Chapter 2: Religion and State in the Renaissance Authoritative Referent Chapter 3: Religion, Politics and Civil War Part Two: The Question of Applying al-Shari‘ah Chapter 4: Awakening and Renewal Chapter 5: Traditionalism (al-salafiyah)… or The Historical Experience of the Nation? Chapter 6: Extremism: Right and Left Chapter 7: Extremism Between Creed and al-Shari‘ah Chapter 8: For the Procession of Ijtihad Chapter 9: The Rationality of the Rulings of al-Shari‘ah Chapter 10: Rulings and Dependence Chapter 11: Every Age has its Special Needs Chapter 12: ‘Avoid the Hudud Penalties when in Doubt’ Chapter 13: Concerning ‘Complete Application of al-Shari‘ah’ VOLUME II: Democracy and Human Rights Part One: Democracy: Its Historical Role in the Arab World Chapter 1: A Demands in the Arab World Chapter 2: Al-Shura and Democracy are not One and the Same Chapter 3: The Difficult Birth Chapter 4: Partnership in Human Governance Chapter 5: Democracy and the Right to Speak Chapter 6: No Way Out Except Through a Historical Bloc Part Two: Democracy and the Current Arab Reality Chapter 7: The Problem of the Transition to Democracy Chapter 8: Objective Situations Conducive to Democracy Chapter 9: Contemporary Arab Ideology and its Doubts about Democracy Chapter 10: Dispersing the Doubts about Democracy Chapter 11: The State that Swallows up Society Chapter 12: Civil Society and the Elites in the Arab Nation Chapter 13: Elites Fear Democracy Chapter 14: Democracy, a Necessity Part Three: Cultural Implantation of Human Rights in the Contemporary Arab Conscience Chapter 15: Human Rights: Particularity and Universality Chapter 16: Universality of Human Rights in the European Point of Reference Chapter 17: Universality of Human Rights in the Islamic Authoritative Point of Reference: Reason and Innate Nature Chapter 18: Universality of Human Rights in the Islamic Authoritative Point of Reference: Covenant and al-Shura Chapter 19: Philosophy of Human Rights and Religion Chapter 20: Freedom is One Things, Apostasy Another Chapter 21: Women’s Rights in Islam: Between the Fundamental Principles of al-Shari‘ah and its Particular Rulings Part Four: Enhancing Awareness of Human Rights in Islam Chapter 22: The Concept of the Human Being in Modern Though Chapter 23: The Concept of the Human Being in the Qur’an Chapter 24: The Right to Life and its Enjoyment Chapter 25: The Right to Freedom of Belief, Knowledge and Difference Chapter 26: Al-Shura between the Qur’an and the Circumstantial Interpretations Chapter 27: The Right to Equality and the Question of ‘Preference’ Chapter 28: Slavery and the Rights of Women Chapter 29: The Right to Justice: The Strength of the Qur’anic Text and the Vacillation of the ‘Advisory Discourse’ Chapter 30: The Rights of the Weak Oppressed: The Right of the Poor to the Wealth of the Rich Chapter 31: Social Security in Islam: Necessity of Development Chapter 32: The Rights of God, the Rights of People: Application of al-Shari‘ah

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Book SynopsisAli Shariati is, for many, the ideological father of the Iranian revolution. A charismatic leader and teacher, his radical blend of Islam and Marxism mobilized a whole generation of young Iranians. Now available in paperback, this full-length political biography looks at Ali Shariati's life and thought in the context of the complex and contradictory cultural, social and political conditions of the Iranian society that shaped him.Trade ReviewThis is an outstanding book for its erudition, balance and perception, and a worthy study of an outstanding intellectual figure. Professor Vanessa Martin, Bulletin of SOAS - Rahnema's excellent study deserves the attention of every student of modern Iran. Professor Ali. M. Ansari, The University of St Andrews 'Ali Rahnema's excellent political biography of the radical Iranian intellectual Ali .Shari 'ati...follows the development of his thought skillfully - Rahnema is to be thanked for providing such a readable account of this complex and important man.' Charles Tripp, Times Literary Supplement Ali Rahnema balances sympathy for his subject with scholarly objectivity. He writes with a fluency and charm rare in academic books, sweeping the reader along with his enthusiasm and energy.' Shusha Guppy, Times Higher Educational SupplementTable of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments The Political and Religious setting The Tudeh Party The Kasravi Tendency 2.Mohammad Taqi Shari’ati: Father and Teacher The Centre for the Propagation of Islamic Truths The Centre and the Oil Nationalization Movement The Influence of the Centre 3.The Movement of God-Worshipping Socialists The Split The Homespun Ideology 4.From Child to Adult Ali’s Primary School Secondary School The Adult Child Contradictory Moods Ali and his Books 5.The Young Intellectual and Political Activitst The League for the Freedom of Iranian People The Political Agitator Translations The Median Schools of Islam Khorasan 6.The University Years Political Discontent New Sparks, Friends, Teachers A Patron of Modern Poetry Imprisonment, Marriage and Graduation 7.Paris Observation, Introspection and Adjustment Political Revival and Radicalization (1960-1964) Discrete Presence Penmanship The Congress of the World Federation of Iranian Students 8.Looking to the Future The Pen Socio-political activities The death of Ali’s mother Beyond the National Front Iran-e-Azad The Lausanne Congress 9.Schooling in Paris A Classical Education The Genuine Foundation of Knowledge Massignon Gurvitch Berque Fanon Sartre Theoretical Bridge-building The Islamic Alternative 10.Homeward Bound Salman-e-Pak A Guide to Khorasan Applying to Mashhad University 11.Mystical Murmers Shari’ati’s retreat The Need for God Shari’ati’s Gnosticism Mystical Experiences Annihilation and Assimilation of God Gnosticism and Politics 12.Fictive Mind Shari’ati, Sham, Chandel Chandel and Chapelle Shari’ati and Solange Solange’s death and resurrection Three epids of the fictive mind 13.At Mashhad University The Jacobins The Medium A Patron of Cultural Activities The Relief Worker A Diversion : Shari’ati and Jalal-e Al-e Ahmad 14.Shari’ati’s Audience and Discourse at the University of Masshad Eslamshenasi The intellectual left and Shari’ati The revolutionary left and Shari’ati The religious establishment reacts 15.A Cat and Mouse Game Interrogations The ban on public lectures A mind under pressure 16.Hosseiniyeh Ershad The First Phase The Second Phase The Hejazi Affair Shari’ati’s first taste of Ershad The return to Ershad 17.Ershad A Disturbing Iconoclast The Backlash The struggle for Ershad An unexpected reinstatement 18.Restoration The Nascent Iranian Guerrilla Movement Shari’ati’s Ershad The clerical opposition to Shari’ati Mosaddeqist Criticism The challenges of the revolutionaries 19.The Word Educational lectures: The History and Mastery of Religions A Radical Islamic Ideology 20.Insurrectionary Discourse Religious subversion Political subversion The complete Shi’i party 21.Cultivating Martyrs Ershad: the revolutionary beehive The closer of Ershad 22.Imprisonment The Komiteh Prison A New Day Freedom and Confusion Revisionism: by choice or freedom? 23.The Curtain Falls Rationalization or radicalization? Hejira and Death Epiloguse Notes Select Bibliograhy Index

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Book SynopsisArguably, trade is the engine of history, and the acceleration in what you mightcall ‘globalism’ from the beginning of the last millennium has been driven by communities interacting with each other through commerce and exchange. The Ottoman empire was a trading partner for the rest of the world, and therefore the key link between the west and the middle east in the fifteenth to nineteenth centuries. much academic attention has been given to the east india Company, but less well known is the Levant Company, which had the exclusive right to trade with the Ottoman empire from 1581 to 1825. The Levant Company exported British manufacturing, colonial goods and raw materials, and imported silk, cotton, spices, currants and other Levantine goods. it set up ‘factories’ (trading establishments) across Ottoman lands and hired consuls, company employees and agents from among its members, as well as foreign tradesmen and locals. here, despina vlami outlines the relationship between the Ottoman empire and the Levant Company, and traces the company’s last glimpses of prosperity combined with slump periods and tension, as both the Ottoman and the British empire faced significant change and war. she points out that the growth of ‘free’ trade and the end of protectionism coincided with modernisation and reforms, and while doing so, provides a new lens through which to view the decline of the Ottoman world.Trade ReviewDrawing on a careful and systematic analysis of the english Levant Company's substantial archive, vlami underscores the increasing demand for the abandonment of protective measures under which British trade had operated in the eighteenth century. This is a work that will surely interest economic and cultural historians, and specialists in the Ottoman empire and the eastern mediterranean - in short, this is a book that, thanks to its author's intelligence and sensitivity, makes an excellent scholarly contribution to our understanding of an important moment in the history of the european economy when Britain emerged as the world's dominant economic force.' Anthony Molho Emeritus Professor of History, The European University institute and Brown University' Despina Vlami dresses scholarship in enjoyable style. she shows well how the transition from monopoly to free trade marks the destiny of the Levant Company. its structure, interwoven with the people working for or against it, comes out in the text as an intricate web of human relations, of ambition and action, of success or failure. entrepreneurial strategies blend with lively descriptions of the actors' social identity and everyday life. a good piece of historical writing. Georges Dertilis, Directeur d'etudes, Ecole des hautes Etudes en sciences socialesTable of ContentsList of Tables Acknowledgements Introduction Part 1 Foundation- Organisation-Dissolution Part 2 Corporate and Individual Strategies: The Transition from Monopoly to Free Trade Part3 Entrepreneurial form and Strategy Part 4 Business, Social Identity and Everyday Life Epilogue Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe story of Anglo-American relations in Saudi Arabia during the Second World War has generally been viewed as one of discord and hegemonic rivalry, a perspective reinforced by a tendency to consider Britain's decline and the ascent of US power as inevitable. In this engaging and timely study, Matthew Hinds calls into question such assumptions and reveals a relationship that, though hard-nosed, functioned through interdependence and strategic parity. Drawing upon an array of archives from both sides of the Atlantic, Hinds traces the flow of key events and policies as well as the leading figures who shaped events to show why, how and to what extent the allies and Saudi Arabia became 'mixed up together', in the words of Winston Churchill. Perhaps most fundamentally, Britain and the United States were enthralled by the promise of Saudi Arabia serving as an auxiliary to Allied strategy. Obtaining King Ibn Saud's tacit support or more specifically, his 'benevolent neutrality', meant having vital access, not only to the country's prospective oil reserves, but to its prized geographic location, its centrality within Islam and, as international politics increasingly followed an anti-colonial path, to its credentials as a sovereign and independent Arab state. Given what was at stake, London and Washington saw their engagement in Saudi Arabia as seminal; a genuine blueprint for how to forge a lasting 'Special Relationship' throughout the Middle East. Hinds' bold new interpretation is a vital work that enlarges our understanding of the Anglo-American wartime alliance.Trade ReviewHinds has produced a readable account that makes a convincing case for revising notions of wartime Anglo American rivalry in Saudi Arabia ... A stimulating reinterpretation of Anglo-American relations in Saudi Arabia that deserves to be a central point of reference in any analysis of the evolution of the “special relationship” in the Middle East. * Bustan: The Middle East Book Review *

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Book SynopsisIn 1923, when the pioneer of feminist activism, Huda Shaarawi, removed her veil in Cairo's train station, she created what became a landmark (and much-copied) gesture for feminists throughout Egypt and the Middle East and cemented her status as one of the most important feminists in twentieth-century Egypt. In Casting off the Veil, her granddaughter Sania Sharawi Lanfranchi uses never-before seen letters and photographs to explore the life and thought of Egypt's first feminist, as she campaigned against British occupation, as well as striving to improve conditions for women throughout the country. From her birth into a wealthy and powerful family, her early years spent in a harem, to her iconic status as one of the most influential feminists in Middle Eastern history, this is a fascinating portrait of a determined and ground-breaking woman, a rich and important story which will captivate everyone with an interest in Egyptian, feminist or colonial history.Trade Review""Huda Shaarawi an icon. A wealthy woman who dedicated her life and her financial resources to the betterment of Egypt. She set up a number of charitable works that also educated and trained women so they could earn a living. She was the first feminist in the country and Egyptian women all owe her a debt for her indefatigable work on their behalf, and thus this book, which deals with the history of this remarkable woman, will appeal to a very wide audience in Egypt of both sexes. Interweaving Shaarawi's life with the history of Egypt, and bringing in new material from private papers, this book is highly recommended for all interested in the history of women in Egypt and the wider Middle East."" Afaf Lutfi al-Sayyid Marsot, Professor Emerita, UCLA" "Huda Shaarawi was one of the truly heroic figures of the modern Middle East. And this book will not only provide a wealth of new information, but may also change the unconscious views of many readers, especially Western ones, about the nature of the Middle-Eastern family and Middle-Eastern society in general."" John Rodenbeck, Professor Emeritus, The American University in Cairo""A very unique account."" - Al-Ahram Online" "By tracing the life of Huda Shaarawi with depth, honesty and completeness, Sharawi Lanfranchi not only takes us back to a journey in the past, but to a journey in the mind, heart and soul of one of the greatest women of all times."" Midan MasrTable of Contents1: Childhood in a conservative home 2: First steps in social work 3: International feminism and the EFU 4: Against the occupation 5: A Wafdist ministry 6: A lesson in diplomacy 7: The game of politics 8: The question of Greater Syria 9: The natural enemies of war 10: Turning points 11: Peace and justice 12: The Second World War 13: The UNGA divides Palestine

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Book SynopsisOne of the most significant works on Anglican and Women's history to be published in recent years. Includes a foreword by the Archbishop of Canterbury. This book tells the story of how a parish women's meeting started in 1876 by a Victorian vicar's wife is now the most authentic and powerful organization of women in the new global Christianity. Its cross-disciplinary approach examines how religious faith and shifting ideologies of womanhood and motherhood in the imperial and post colonial worlds acted as a source of empowerment for conservative women in their homes, communities and churches. In contrast to much of feminist history, A History of the Mothers' Union 1876-2008: Women, Anglicanism and Globalisation shows how the beliefs of ordinary women led them to become advocates and activists long before women had the vote or could be ordained priests. Having survived an identity crisis over social and theological liberalism in the 1960s, the Mothers' Union provides a model of unity and reconciled diversity for a divided world wide church. Today it is hailed by the Archbishop of Canterbury and international development practitioners as an outstanding example of global Christian engagement with poverty and social transformation issues at the grass roots. The material is arranged both thematically and chronologically. Case studies of Australia, Ghana and South Africa trace how the Mothers' Union arrived with white British women but evolved into indigenous organizations. CORDELIA MOYSE is Adjunct Professor of Church History at Lancaster Theological Seminary, Lancaster, PA, USA.Trade ReviewA fine contribution to British women's and British religious history. * JOURNAL OF BRITISH STUDIES *At last a careful study of the Mothers' Union based on the wonderful archives created at Mary Sumner House and now in the Lambeth Palace Library. [...] A thoughtful and carefully prepared book. * THE MAGAZINE OF MU AUSTRALIA *This important book is in some sense an untold history of the Anglican Communion itself, charting the globalization and development of Anglican faith and cultures. * LIVING CHURCH *

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Book SynopsisThe west's Orientalism - its construction of an Arab or Islamic 'Other' - has been exposed and examined under the critical theory microscope and thoroughly expelled, it seems, from academic thought. At the same time postmodern thinkers from Nietzsche onwards have employed the motifs and symbols of the Islamic Orient within an ongoing critique of western modernity, an appropriation which, this hugely controversial book argues, runs every risk of becoming a new and more insidious Orientalist strain.Ian Almond sensitively yet rigorously examines the work of Nietzsche, Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault, Jean Baudrillard, Julia Kristeva and Slavoj Zizek, as well as that of postmodern writers Jorge Luis Borges, Salman Rushdie and Orhan Pamuk. In doing so he exposes the implications of this 'use' of Islam for both the postmodern project and for Islam itself. Taking apart the assumptions, omissions and contradictions inherent in these thinkers' approaches to Islam and to the Arab world, and drawing on the work of prominent Muslim thinkers including Ziauddin Sardar, Aziz Al-Azmeh and Bobby S. Sayyid, "The New Orientalists" highlights the difficulty of ever speaking truly about the 'Other'. In light of the current Western climate of fear and hysteria surrounding the Islamic world, this groundbreaking project could hardly be more timely.

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Book SynopsisIn this magisterial work, Sami Zubaida draws on a distinguished career's worth of experience trying to understand the region to address the fundamental question in Middle East studies: what is the Middle East? He argues, controversially, that to see it through the prism of Islam, as it is conventionally viewed, is to completely misunderstand it. Many of what we think of as the 'Islamic' characteristics of the region are products of culture and society, not religion.To think of Islam itself as an essential, anti-modern force in the region rather than something shaped by specific historical-economic processes is, Zubaida argues, a mistake. Instead, he offers us an alternative view of the region, its historic cosmpolitanism, its religious and cultural diversity, its rapid adoption of new media cultures, which reveals a multi-faceted and complex region teeming with multiple identities. Wide-ranging, erudite and powerfully argued, Zubaida's work will be essential reading for future generations of students of this fascinating region.Table of ContentsIntroduction * 1. Is There a Muslim Society? * 2. Political Modernity in the Middle East * 3. Shifting Social Boundaries and Identities in the Modern Middle East * 5. Islam and Nationalism: Continuities and Contradictions * 6. The Public and the Private in Middle Eastern History and Society

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Book SynopsisFor centuries the Islamic world has, by turns, been both reviled and admired in the West. Since the time of the Crusades, Europeans have viewed Muslim culture and religion through the unique distorting lens of Orientalism, colouring all aspects of their perception and generating a curious blend of fascination and distrust. Historian, sociologist and Middle East specialist Maxime Rodinson presents an account of this relationship, in a history that is balanced and concise yet insightful.Trade Review'sure to become a favourite of American scholars of the Middle East. It is short, succinct, erudite, and greatly reassuring' -Richard W. Bulliet 'Is the history of Islam and the West... merely a record of battles and bigotry? This book makes clear that the relationship has been much subtler. By chronicling, succinctly and elegantly, the West's changing images of Islam, Rodinson - one of the leading French scholars of Islam and the Middle East - demolishes the notion of two monolithic blocs frozen in eternal hostility' -London Review of Books 'Rodinson's serious work is an analytical history of Europe's varying attitudes, positive and negative, towards Islam and the Middle East... Deserves reading.' -The EconomistTable of ContentsPart 1 Western views of the Muslim world: the Middle Ages; toward a less polemical image; coexistence and reconciliation; from coexistence to objectivity; the birth of Orientalism; the enlightenment; the 19th century; challenges to Eurocentrism. Part 2 Toward a new approach to Arab and Islamic studies: traditional Orientalism in the past; the present crisis and current problems; the present state of the craft - the continuance of the past impetus; theologocentrism in scholarship; new fields and disciplines; regional influences in Islamic studies; the modalities of future progress; proposals for future study.

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Book SynopsisThe revival and power of religious feelings among Muslims since the Iranian revolution presents a complicated and often perplexing picture of the politics of modern Islam. What are the ideas which have influenced the direction of these trends? Here, Hamis Enayat provides an answer by describing and interpreting some of the major Islamic political ideas, especially those expressed by Iranians and Egyptians, as well as thinkers from Pakistan, India, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. He examines the political differences between the two main schools in Islam - Shi'ism and Sunnism. Also covered in the book is: the concept of the Islamic state; and the Muslim response to the challenge of alien and modern ideologies such as nationalism, democracy and socialism - as well as notions of Shi'i modernism.Trade Review'Enayat's book makes a significant contribution to understanding the complexities of a situation involving the two most important Muslim communities as they are forced to share a single political space.'- Asian AffairsJOURNAL OF ORIENTAL AND AFRICAN STUDIES'...this title will for long remain a classic and redoubtable piece of scholarship...an essential reading for all those interested in and "insider's" analysis of the Islamic political thought and indeed for all students of political history.- Amidu Olalekan Sanni, Lagos State University

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