Defining Islam: A Reader (Critical Categories in the Study of Religion) (Critical Categories in the Study of Religion)

Ever since a group of people came into existence who called themselves Muslims and followed Islam, questions of what it means to be a member of this group - who is to be included/excluded and what the requirements for membership are - have proven to be both divisive and defining. For scholars and critics, the issue of what constitutes or defines 'Islam' - whether examining the history of the religion, its specific traditions, sectarian politics, or acts of terrorist - is central to any understanding of issues, cultures and ideas. 'Defining Islam' brings together key classic and contemporary writings on the nature of Islam to provide student readers with the ideal collection of both primary and critical sources. Part I Theology -- 1 / Abu Hanifa The Epistle Of Abu Hanifa To 'uthman Al-batti 17 -- 2 / Muhammad Ibn 'abd Al-wahhab Ten Things That Nullify One's Islam 19 -- 3 / Sayyid Qutb The Formation Of Muslim Society And Its Characteristics 24 -- 4 / M.r. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen The Spread Of Islam 30 -- Part Ii Social Sciences -- 5 / Ronald A. Lukens-bull Between Text And Practice: Considerations In The Anthropological Study Of Islam 37 -- 6 / Dale F. Eickelman The Study Of Islam In Local Contexts 58 -- 7 / Abdul Hamid M. El-zein Beyond Ideology And Theology: The Search For The Anthropology Of Islam 74 -- 8 / Clifford Geertz Two Countries, Two Cultures 104 -- 9 / William R. Roff Islamic Movements: One Or Many? 118 -- 10 / Barbara D. Metcalf Islam In Contemporary Southeast Asia: History, Community, Morality 136 -- 11 / Armando Salvatore Beyond Orientalism? Max Weber And The Displacements Of Essentialism In The Study Of Islam 148 -- Part Iii Religion -- 12 / Duncan Black Macdonald The Muslim East As It Presents Itself 175 -- 13 / Wilfred Cantwell Smith The Special Case Of Islam 185 -- 14 / Charles Le Gai Eaton Religion Is A Different Matter 195 -- 15 / Jacques Waardenburg Official, Popular, And Normative Religion In Islam 201 -- 16 / Norman Calder The Limits Of Islamic Orthodoxy 222 -- 17 / Abdulkader I. Tayob Defining Islam In The Throes Of Modernity 237 -- 18 / Mohammed Arkoun Islam, Europe, The West: Meanings-at-stake And The Will-to-power 252 -- Part Iv Civilization -- 19 / Gustave E. Von Grunebaum The Problem: Unity In Diversity 269 -- 20 / Marshall G.s. Hodgson The Dialectic Of A Cultural Tradition 288 -- 21 / Bryan S. Turner Conscience In The Construction Of Religion: A Critique Of Marshall G.s. Hodgson's The Venture Of Islam 308 -- 22 / Richard Bulliet Conversion As A Social Process 323 -- Part V The Media -- 23 / Edward Said Islam And The West 335 -- 24 / Edward Mortimer Islam And The Western Journalist 358. Edited By Andrew Rippin. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Preface Sources Introduction PART I: THEOLOGY 1. The Epistle of Abu Hanifa to ‘Uthman al-Batti 2. Ten Things That Nullify One’s Islam 3. The Formation of Muslim Society and its Characteristics 4. The Spread of Islam PART II: SOCIAL SCIENCES 5. Between Text and Practice: Considerations in the Anthropological Study of Islam 6. The Study of Islam in Local Contexts 7. Beyond Ideology and Theology: The Search for the Anthropology of Islam 8. Two Countries, Two Cultures 9. Islamic Movements: One or Many? 10. Islam in Contemporary Southeast Asia: History, Community, Morality 11. Beyond Orientalism? Max Weber and the Displacements of “Essentialism” in the Study of Islam PART III: RELIGION 12. The Muslim East as It Presents Itself 13. The Special Case of Islam 14. Religion is a Different Matter 15. Official, Popular, and Normative Religion in Islam 16. The Limits of Islamic Orthodoxy 17. Defining Islam in the Throes of Modernity 18. Islam, Europe, the West: Meanings-at-Stake and the Will-to-Power PART IV: CIVILIZATION 19. The Problem: Unity in Diversity 20. The Dialectic of a Cultural Tradition 21. Conscience in the Construction of Religion: A Critique of Marshall G. S. Hodgson’s The Venture of Islam 22. Conversion as a Social Process PART V: THE MEDIA 23. Islam and the West 24. Islam and the Western Journalist Glossary Index of Authors Index of Subjects