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Loading... The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World (4 Volume Set)by John L. Esposito
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This unique reference is the first comprehensive encyclopedia dedicated to the institutions, religion, politics, and culture in Muslim societies throughout the world. Placing particular emphasis on the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic Worldcontains over 750 articles in four volumes. The focus throughout is on the Islamic dimension of the Muslim experience in recent history, and background articles ground the information in its historical context and ensure continuity. Entries address political and social action as well as formaltexts, and emphasis is placed on the practice and theory of Islam in Muslim societies around the globe. Unlike more limited explorations of Islam, this work looks at Muslim societies in the Arab heartland as well as in South and Southeast Asia, and even in Europe and the Americas. Thus it is aninvaluable resource offering extensive comparative and systematic analyses of Islamic beliefs, institutions, movements, practices, and peoples on an international scale.Topical categories covered include history and geography; schools of thought; religious beliefs; theology and philosophy; mysticism; religious practice, devotionalism, and ritual; religious law; politics; economics; culture and society; and biographies. Alphabetically arranged articles range frombrief 500-word essays to major interpretive and synthetic treatments of topics such as the Islamic state, pilgrimage, law, marriage, and foreign relations. Related entries cover such topics as social and political movements, women, Muslim minorities, human rights, Islam in the West, andinterreligious affairs.Truly multidisciplinary, this work reflects the breadth and depth of contemporary scholarship in Islamic studies, combining the tools of the humanities and social sciences to examine the interrelationship of religion, politics, and culture in Muslim societies and to explain the changing realitiesof Muslim life. Designed for easy use by both scholars and students, the work has an index and an extensive system of cross-references that provide easy access to the network of related articles throughout the encyclopedia. Entries are written by Muslim and non-Muslim scholars from around the world.Unique in its focus on the modern Islamic world, this encyclopedia is an invaluable reference for anyone concerned with Islam: scholars and students of many disciplines, government and media analysts who increasingly require an understanding of the Muslim world, and interested lay readers who arebecoming more and more familiar with Islamic politics and culture. No library descriptions found. |
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 Google Books — Loading...GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)909.097671History and Geography History World history Other Geographic Classifications Socioeconomic Regions By ReligionLC ClassificationRatingAverage: (4)
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Wikipedia in English (6)
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Some entries deal with ambitious subjects such as book publishing, dance, and economic development, and convey a sense of the topic in just a few paragraphs. Others deal with arcane topics (Islam in Suriname, the Hujjatiya school of thought) that otherwise would be beyond the reach of most readers. An interested reader might spend hours leafing through the four volumes, and he will consistently find well-presented and informative articles. . . .
The Oxford Encyclopedia is modern in a second sense too: in spirit. Like many other reference works in the age of deconstruction, it faces problems of identity and purpose. An encyclopedia used to be a straight-forward compendium of known and useful facts. But when scholars increasingly agree that truth depends on one's vantage point (and especially one's gender, race, and class), the encyclopedic function becomes far less obvious. A large number of the 450 contributors to this work would seem to accept the modern notion that objectivity being unobtainable, there's little point in even trying. . . .
The crisis of the Muslim world - attested to by every serious analyst of the subject - can hardly be found in the Oxford Encyclopedia. Instead, this is a formal presentation for outsiders, hoping they will come away with a good impression. . . .
Apologetics, once the preserve of Islamic polemicists, has invaded the universities; that is the unhappy message of the Oxford Encyclopedia. The base of knowledge is formidable, but the political constraints are stifling. If only the editor had the wisdom and discipline to rule out politically tinged submissions from his contributors, the Oxford Encyclopedia would be an excellent tome. But then, that would be asking for a very different academy than the one we actually have.