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 Engaging Muslims: Religion, Cultures, PoliticsBooksEngaging Muslims: Religion, Cultures, Politics The most recently issued Journal of Religious and Theological Information (7:2) included "A Topical Overview of Selected English Resources on Islam," by Paul D. Numrich. This is a valuable bibliographic essay that evaluates existing resources. For a copy, click "articles" in the "quick links" section at http:jrti.haworthpress.com Those involved in the Engaging Muslims Project (advisors, coordinators and speakers) recommend the following books.[1]
Q & A Esposito, John L. What Everyone Needs to Know About Islam. (Oxford University Press, 2002). A useful question and answer book prepared for American readers following 9/11/01 with a short glossary and suggestions for further reading. Renard, G. John. Responses to 101 Questions on Islam (Paulist Press, 1998). A handy question and answer book that covers the range of usual questions western readers, mainly Christians, often ask and also offers comments from a comparative perspective. Brief Histories Nasr, Sayyed Hossein. Islam: Religion, History, and Civilization (Harper San Francisco, 2003). The "Dean" of Muslim scholars in the United States provides general overview of Islam with outstanding chapters on practice, ethics, institutions and schools of thought and the diversity of Islamic cultures that includes Africa, which is often neglected in standard works. Sonn, Tamara. A Brief History of Islam. (Blackwell Publishing, 2004). A brief chronological survey of major themes by a scholar of Islam. On the Bible and the Qur'an Cragg, Kenneth, A Certain Sympathy of Scriptures: Biblical and Qur'anic (Sussex Academic Press, 2004). A Christian scholar of Islam dialogues with the two texts, looking at the crucial sequence of the Scriptures - alike in the Bible and the Qur'an. Dardess, George, Do We Worship the Same God? Comparing the Bible and the Qur'an (St Anthony Messenger Press, 2006). Following two background chapters, 18 short chapters use quotations from the Bible and Qur'an to explain the beliefs of Christians and Muslims on issues such as creation of the universe, war, and God's judgment. Each issue is framed in an introduction and followed by questions for discussion, often with additional details to help readers understand more fully. Ipgrave, Michael, ed., Bearing the Word: Prophecy in Biblical and Qur'anic Perspectives (Church House Publishing, 2005). Muslim and Christian are "people of the book," and both claim prophecy as central to their traditions. Both communities want to know how scripture and sacred writings shape the world-view of the other. Bearing the Word is a significant resource for that understanding. Reeves, John C. ed., Bible and Qur'an: Essays in Scriptural Intertextuality (Society of Biblical Literature, 2003). This book is by scholars writing to scholars. The nine essays, all from scholars who center their research on the intersections of Jewish, Christian, and Islamic literary traditions, explore various aspects of the textual and behavioral connections discernible among these three major Near Eastern religions. The book will appeal to students and scholars of Bible and biblical lore, particularly in diverse exegetical contexts; Biblicists interested in the reception history of Bible within the Islamic cultural sphere; specialists in ancient and medieval Jewish literary history and folklore; scholars of eastern Christian history and literature; Islamic scholars with an interest in the Jewish and/or Christian textual and exegetical elements visible in early and medieval Islam. Trible, Phyllis and Letty M. Russell. Eds. Hagar, Sarah, and Their Children: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Perspectives (Westminster-John Knox Press 2006). Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all trace their beginnings to Abraham. His wives Hagar and Sarah, though also pivotal in the story, have received far less attention. In this book, however, noted Jewish, Christian, and Muslim scholars focus on Hagar, Sarah, and their children, from Ishmael and Isaac to their many descendents through the centuries. Books for Christian Religious Educators Mallon, Elias D. Islam. What Catholics Need to Know. Resource for Catholic Administrators and Religious Educators in Serving Interreligious Dialogue (National Catholic Education Association, 2006). A mixture of information on Islam, the history of relations, and current dialogues. Speight, R. Marston. God is One: The Way of Islam. 2nd ed. (National Council of Churches of Christ-USA, Friendship Press, 2000). Prepared specifically for use in Christian congregations and sold on the website of the NCCC-USA, this was the first good introduction for U. S. Christians, now updated. Revelation Catholic and Muslim Perspectives by the Midwest Dialogue of Catholics and Muslims, Co-Sponsored by the Islamic Society of North America and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Washington, DC (USCCB, 2005). These explanations of what Catholics and Muslims understand by the word revelation and a detailed discussion on how each would interpret their sacred texts are comprehensible to interested adult readers.
Reza Aslan No god but God, (Random House, 2006) Aslan charts the origins and growth of Islam, interspersed with commentary on topics related to Islam that have special interest to Americans.. His final chapters describe Islam in the process of a reformation. Aslam recognizes that both modernizers and their "fundamentalist" opposites call themselves reformers, and the victory of the former is not assured. How to Win a Cosmic War (in press, 2008). Aslan says Islamic jihadists have framed the War on Terror as a cosmic struggle between good and evil, a new Crusade. He thinks it's up to the United States to reframe the conflicts in the Middle East in social, political and economic terms. Otherwise, he believes the war will last for eternity. John Borelli Interfaith Dialogue: A Catholic View (Orbis Books, 2006) Along with the texts of the major documents issued by the Catholic Church that define its theological positions on interfaith dialogue and activity, this book offers reports of the numerous American and international dialogues and inter-religious meetings and discusses the importance of dialogue for political and social well-being.
John L. Esposito Esposito, an internationally renowned scholar of Islam, is the author of numerous books and the editor of many others, including some major reference resources on Islam. For a complete list of his published works see: http://explore.georgetown.edu/people/jle2/?action=viewpublications The follow list is a selection Esposito asked us to post. Islam the Straight Path Updated with a New Epilogue (Oxford University Press, 2004). This is the best introductory textbook for an undergraduate level course on Islam. The new Epilogue addresses the impact of 9/11 and its aftermath on both the Muslim and non-Muslim world, discussing Islam's relationship to democracy and modernity and focusing more sharply on the origins and growth of extremism and terrorism in the name of Islam. The Islamic Threat: Myth or Reality? 3rd ed. (Oxford University Press, 1999). Many Western presuppositions pertaining to Islam stem from a long history of mutual distrust, criticism, and condemnation, and are far too simplistic to help us understand one of the most important political issues of our time. Exploring the vitality of this religion as a global force and the history of its relations with the West, Esposito demonstrates the diversity of the Islamic resurgence--and the mistakes our analysts make in assuming a hostile, monolithic Islam. This third edition has been expanded to include new material on current affairs in Turkey, Afghanistan, Palestine, and Southeast Asia, as well as a discussion of international terrorism. Unholy War: Terror in the Name of Islam (Oxford University Press, 2003). Traces sociopolitical and cultural developments in the Muslim world for non-specialist readers. It includes a discussion of the rise of militant Islam and its key personalities, including Sayyid Qutb and Osama bin Laden. What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam (Oxford University Press, 2002). A useful question and answer book prepared for American readers following 9/11/01 with a short glossary and suggestions for further reading. Who Speaks for Islam? Listening to the Voices of a Billion Muslims (in press, Gallup Press, 2008). "Based on the largest and most in-depth study of its kind, this book presents the remarkable findings of the Gallup Poll of the Muslim World, the first ever data-based analysis of the points of view of more than 90% of the global Muslim community, spanning nearly 40 countries." www.galluppress.com/content/?ci=17536 Women in Muslim Family Law with Natana J. Delong-Bas (Oxford University Press, 2002). A consideration the diverse interpretations of Muslim family law in the Middle East and Asia includes discussions of Muslim religious and social life. Some studies edited by Esposito: Islam in Transition: Muslim Perspectives, John Donohue and John Esposito, eds. 2nd ed., (Oxford University Press, 2006). This book offers a wide range of viewpoints from a cross-section of Muslim intellectuals and religious leaders, from secular to devout, traditionalist to reformist, and moderate to extremist. The essays address key issues including Islam and nationalism, socialism, the secular state, economics, modernization, democracy, women, jihad, violence, terrorism, suicide bombing, globalization, and civilization dialogue. The Oxford History of Islam, John Esposito, ed. (Oxford University Press, 2000). An anthology of 15 articles concerning: philosophy, science, art, architecture and histories of Islamic empires and civilizations. It includes articles focusing on colonialism, American and European Muslims and 20th-century Islamic revivalism. The inclusion of Islamic art with100 b&w photos and 20 four-color illustrations enhance the text.
Ingrid Mattson The Story of the Qur'an: Its History and Place in Muslim Life, (Blackwell Publishing, in press). www.blackwellpublishing.com/book.asp?ref=9781405122573&site=1
Maryam Qudrat Aseel Torn Between Two Cultures: An Afghan-American Woman Speaks Out (Capitol Books, 2004). An Afghan-American woman's account of her life and faith. Muzammil Siddiqi "How an Islamic Leader Views Dialogue," Origins: CNS Documentary Service, 30, 41. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs. Available on line at www.usccb.org/seia/siddiqi.htm "An Islamic Approach to Pluralism," 2001, Solomon-Tenenbaum and Joseph Cardinal Bernardin Lectureship. University of South Carolina in Columbia. Available on line at http://www.pakistanlink.com/religion/2001/1214.html
Armstrong, Karen The Battle for God, (Ballantine Books, 2001). This study profiles fundamentalism, which she views as a mostly 20th-century response to the "painful transformation" of modernity. Armstrong traces the birth of fundamentalism among early 20th-century religious Zionists in Israel, biblically literalist American Protestants and Iranian Shiites wary of Westernization. A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (Ballantine Books, 1994). This comparative history of the three major monotheistic faiths illuminates the sociopolitical ground in which religious ideas take root, blossom and mutate. Armstrong, argues that Judaism, Christianity and Islam each developed the idea of a personal God, which has helped believers to mature as full human beings. To Armstrong, modern, aggressively righteous fundamentalists of all three faiths represent "a retreat from God." Islam: A Short History (Modern Library, 2002). A quick thoughtful introduction to Islam that takes readers from the sixth-century days of the Prophet Muhammad to the present. Armstrong is at her most passionate when discussing Islam in the modern world. A useful time line and a guide to the "Key Figures in the History of Islam" complete this strong, brisk survey of 1,500 years of Islamic history. Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time (Harper-Collins, 2006). A balanced portrait, revealing the man at the heart of Islam by dismantling centuries of misconceptions. Armstrong demonstrates that Muhammad's life-a pivot point in history-has genuine relevance to the global crises we face today. Ali, Ayaan Hirsi, Infidel (Free Press, 2007). "Readers with an eye on European politics will recognize Ali as the Somali-born member of the Dutch parliament who faced death threats after collaborating on a film about domestic violence against Muslim women with controversial director Theo van Gogh (who was himself assassinated). Even before then, her attacks on Islamic culture as "brutal, bigoted, [and] fixated on controlling women" had generated much controversy. In this suspenseful account of her life and her internal struggle with her Muslim faith, she discusses how these views were shaped by her experiences amid the political chaos of Somalia and other African nations, where she was subjected to genital mutilation and later forced into an unwanted marriage. While in transit to her husband in Canada, she decided to seek asylum in the Netherlands, where she marveled at the polite policemen and government bureaucrats. Ali is up-front about having lied about her background in order to obtain her citizenship, which led to further controversy in early 2006, when an immigration official sought to deport her and triggered the collapse of the Dutch coalition government. Apart from feelings of guilt over van Gogh's death, her voice is forceful and unbowed-like Irshad Manji, she delivers a powerful feminist critique of Islam informed by a genuine understanding of the religion" Publishers Weekly Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. Ayoub, Mahmoud, A Muslim View of Christianity: Essays on Dialogue, Irfan A. Omar, ed. (Orbis, 2007). A major collection of important essays that have been gathered for this convenient republication. Part I concerns the need for dialogue, Part II concerns theological and juridical issues, Part III offers Muslim perspectives of Christology, Part IV offers various studies of Muslim-Christian dialogues in the modern world. Cragg, Kenneth, The Qur'an and the West (Georgetown University Press, 2006). This author has stood at the forefront of exhorting Christians to better understand and appreciate Islam, urging dialogue on the social and political implications of the life of faith. Here while recognizing the role of the Qur'an as the scriptures of Islam he also sees these texts a font of faith and spirituality, decency, morality, and values both individual and collective that concern humanity as a whole. He makes clear that the terrorists of 9/11 perverted the Qur'an's meaning. He argues that what the West still fails to appreciate about Islam is the Qur'an's reach over areas of human life that Christians call the "secular" when is no such distinction between "secular" and "sacred" in Islam. He seeks to encouraging Muslims to emphasize an interpretation of the Qur'an that perpetuates the Islamic message rather than the Islamic regime. Feiler, Bruce, Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths (William Morrow, 2002). The book retells what the Bible and Koran say about Abraham. It reports how the three religion supplements these stories and borrowed the supplements from one another. It also considers how the Abraham narratives relate to contemporary religious and political conflicts. Idilby, Ranya, Suzanne Oliver, and Priscilla Warner, The Faith Club: A Muslim, a Christian and a Jew: Three Women Search for Understanding (Random House, 2006). "In the wake of 9/11, Idliby, an American Muslim of Palestinian descent, sought out fellow mothers of the Jewish and Christian faiths to write a children's book on the commonalities among their respective traditions. In their first meeting, however, the women realized they would have to address their differences first. Oliver, an Episcopalian who was raised Catholic, irked Warner, a Jewish woman and children's author, with her description of the Crucifixion story, which sounded too much like "Jews killed Jesus" for Warner's taste. Idliby's efforts to join in on the usual "Judeo-Christian" debate tap into a sense of alienation she already feels in the larger Muslim community, where she is unable to find a progressive mosque that reflects her non-veil-wearing, spiritual Islam. The ladies come to call their group a "faith club" and, over time, midwife each other into stronger belief in their own respective religions. More Fight Club than book club, the coauthors pull no punches; their outstanding honesty makes for a page-turning read, rare for a religion nonfiction book. From Idliby's graphic defense of the Palestinian cause, Oliver's vacillations between faith and doubt, and Warner's struggles to acknowledge God's existence, almost every taboo topic is explored on this engaging spiritual ride." Publishers Weekly (Oct. 3 Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. Patel, Eboo, Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim, the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation (Beacon Press, 2007). This autobiography of a young activist captures how an angry youth can be transformed-by faith, by the community and, most of all, by himself-into a profound leader for the cause of peace. Peters, F.A. Children of Abraham, 2nd ed. (Princeton University Press, 2005). Peters compares the structures of Judaism, Christianity and Islam without asserting the superiority of any one of them. The new edition reflects current scholarship in the field; it will appeal to teachers of comparative religion and historians looking for a concise narrative about Christianity, Judaism, or Islam. The general reader will also find it engaging. Swidler, Leonard, Reuven Firestone and Klalid Duran, Trialogue: Jews, Christians, and Muslims in Dialogue (Twenty-Third Publications, 2007). These three professors, beginning with Firestone and Judaism, present their faith traditions and the challenges as well as possibilities for genuine trialogue. Each offers invaluable insights into the ways they share Hebraic roots and Abrahamic traditions and how their beliefs and practices have evolved through the centuries up to and including the present. Throughout the text, readers are encouraged to pause for reflection and or discussion of the key points presented by the authors. Waskow, Rabbi Arthur, Sister Joan Chittister and Murshid Saadi Shakur Chishti, The Tent of Abraham: Stories of Hope and Peace for Jews, Christians, and Muslims (Beacon Press 2006). Three key religious thinkers write about the story of Abraham as a way to deepen Muslim/Christian/Jewish understanding. See also http://www.tentofabraham.org/ UAA / APU Books of the Year: Khadra, Yasmina The Swallows of Kabul, (Vintage, 2005) 0099466023 Atwood, Margaret The Handmaids Tale (Vintage, 1985) 038549081X Discussion guides are available for these two books at www.uaa.alaska.edu/communitypartnerships/readers-guides.cfm A Selection of Fiction with Islamic settings. Aboulela, Leila The Translator (Grove Press, Black Cat; 2006) 0802170269 Hosseini, Khaled The Kite Runner (Riverhead 2004) 1594480001 Hosseini, Khaled A Thousand Splendid Suns (Riverhead, 2007) 1594489505 Nafisi, Azar, Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books (Random House 2003) 081297106X Rushdie, Salman The Satanic Verses (Viking, 1989) 0670825379 Satrapi, Marjane, Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood (Pantheon Books, 2004) 037571457X Satrapi, Marjane, Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return (Pantheon Books 2005) 0375714669 Seierstad, Asne The Bookseller of Kabul (Back Bay Books, 2004) 0316159417 Smith, Zadie White Teeth (Vintage, 20001) 375703861
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[1] Annotations in this listing are abbreviated from publishers summaries listed on Amazon.com |
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