Synopses & Reviews
The Iranian revolution, the Lebanese and Afghan civil wars, the assassination of Egypt's Anwar Sadat, the Gulf War--these crises have dominated the headlines and global politics, yet few of us know anything about Islam, the faith of the people and nations of the world's second largest religion. Islam and Muslims have often been viewed through a series of stereotypes--as fundamentalists, extremists, radicals--which distort our understanding of the faith of its one billion followers, who span the globe from Africa to Asia, from the United States to the Soviet Union. Now John L. Esposito offers a timely revised edition of
Islam, his widely acclaimed guide to Islamic history, faith, culture, and politics.
In Islam, Esposito provides a succinct, up-to-date survey of the Islamic experience, an introduction to the faith, belief, and practice of Islam from its origins to its contemporary resurgence. He traces the emergence and development of this dynamic faith and its impact on world history and politics. He discusses the formation of Islamic belief and practice (law, theology, philosophy, and mysticism), chronicling the struggle of Muslims to define and adhere to their Islamic way of life. Equally important is the essential information Esposito provides on the contemporary world of Islam, from Muslim responses to the challenges of colonialism and modernization to the reassertion of Islam in politics and society.
With years of teaching and traveling in the Islamic world, Esposito offers an inside understanding of Muslim faith and thought. Lucidly written and expansive in scope, this new edition of a volume highly respected in both the West and the Islamic world provides keen insight into one of the world's least understood religions.
Synopsis
Now in an expanded edition, this outstandingly successful survey text introduces students of religion and world politics to the faith and practice of Islam, the second largest religion in the world and one of the most politically potent. Tracing the law, theology, mysticism and philosophy of Islam from its earliest origins to its contemporary resurgence, the text also dispels stereotypes about the role of Islam in Muslim life today and its complex and at times conflagrational influence on politics and government throughout the world. A comprehensive and highly useful text for students of religion and world politics, The Straight Path is an indispensable resource for understanding Islam in all its contemporary vitality.
About the Author
About the Author - John L. Esposito is Professor of Religion and Director of the Center for International Studies at the College of the Holy Cross, and served as President of the Middle East Studies Association. His many publications include Islam and Politics, Islam in Asia, Voices of Resurgent Islam, and The Iranian Revolution: Its Global Impact.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Muhammad and the Quran: Messenger and Message
2. The Muslim Community in History
3. Religious Life: Belief and Practice
4. Modern Interpretations of Islam
5. Contemporary Islam: Religion and Politics
6. Islam and Change: Issues of Authority and Interpretation
Glossary
Notes
Select Bibliography
Index