Islam in Context
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Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
ISBN: 9780801026270
Type: Paperback
"Timely and relevant.... Written in an accessible and highly readable style throughout, the text is both engaging and interesting.... A welcome addition to the ever widening library of books considering Islam, its history, and its situation in the twenty-first century."--Christopher Allen, Reviews in Religion and Theology
In recent months, scholars and popular analysts have paid much attention to Islam and the greater Muslim world. Some have been openly hostile, while others have offered overly simplistic analyses. Islam in Context goes behind the recent crisis to discuss the history of Islam, delineate its basic structure and beliefs, describe the current division between Muslim moderates and extremists, and suggest a way forward for Islam.
Drawing from sources such as the Qur'an, Ibn Ishaq's biography of Muhammad, early Christian chronicles of the Crusades, and contemporary Muslim and non-Muslim writings, authors Peter Riddell and Peter Cotterell approach their topic with academic rigor. At the same time, they retain readability by avoiding the esoteric and obscure. The authors move beyond the stereotypes of Muhammad--both idealized and negative--and argue against the myth that relatively recent events in the Middle East are the only cause for the clash between Islam and the West. Rather, current events represent only one chapter in the saga of empires.
Riddell and Cotterell ask the non-Muslim world to attempt to understand Islam from the perspective of Muslims and to acknowledge past mistakes. At the same time, they challenge the Muslim world by suggesting that Islam stands today at a vital crossroads and the way forward is for them alone to decide.
Islam in Context is an ideal text for courses on Islam or world religions. Additionally, it will appeal to all those who are interested in an alternative to the easily packaged descriptions of the relationship between Islam and the West.
