Religion and Politics in Saudi Arabia : Wahhabism and the State

What is Wahhabism? What is its relationship with the Saudi state? Does it play a part in Islamist terrorist threats? These are among the complex questions tackled in Religion and Politics in Saudi Arabia. Moving from the historical, social, and political contexts in which Wahhabism originated and flourished to its current internal divisions and its impact on Saudi-US relations, the authors offer thought-provoking, cutting-edge research that helps to unravel the mystery that has long surrounded the subject. Introduction: Unraveling the myths / Mohammed Ayoob and Hasan Kosebalaban Wahhabism : religious movement and political ideology Wahhabism and the question of religious tolerance / Natana J. DeLong-Bas Wahhabism as an ideology of state formation / Khalid S. al-Dakhil Contestation and authority in Wahhabi polemics / David Commins Wahhabism and the Saudi state Wahhabi origins of the contemporary Saudi state / John S. Habib The annexation of the Hijaz / William Ochsenwald State power, religious privilege, and myths about political reform / Gwenn Okruhlik Religious revivalism and its challenge to the Saudi regime / Toby Craig Jones Saudi-US relations A most improbable alliance : placing interests over ideology / Thomas W. Lippman Official Wahhabism and the sanctioning of Saudi-US relations / F. Gregory Gause III Conclusion The impact of the Wahhabi tradition / John O. Voll. Ayoob (international relations, Michigan State U.) and Kosebalaban (political science, Lake Forest College) and 10 contributors take issue with what appears to be a commonly-held belief that Wahhabism was the determining factor in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack and other acts of terrorist violence. Wahhabism, an extremely conservative version of Sunni Islam, promotes literal adherence to the Koran. The premise of this well-written and well-researched study contends that Wahhabism may have been a determining factor, but was certainly not the only nor even the primary determining factor. Topics include Wahhabism as a political movement and political ideology, Wahhabism and the contemporary Saudi state, religious revivalism and its challenge to the Saudi regime, and the impact of Wahhabi tradition.