Centuries after his death, al-Ghazali remains one of the most influential figures of the Islamic intellectual tradition. Although he is best known for his "Incoherence of the Philosophers", "Moderation in Belief" is his most profound work of philosop...

For generations Islamic and Western intellectuals and policymakers have debated Islam's compatibility with democratic government, usually with few solid conclusions. But where – Brandon Kendhammer asks in this book – have the voices of ordinary, work...

The spread of Islam eastward into South and Southeast Asia was one of the most significant cultural shifts in world history. As it expanded into these regions, Islam was received by cultures vastly different from those in the Middle East, incorporati...

In "The Politics of Islamic Law", Iza Hussin compares India, Malaya, and Egypt during the British colonial period in order to trace the making and transformation of the contemporary category of "Islamic law". She demonstrates that not only is Islamic...

In the popular imagination, Islam is often associated with words like oppression, totalitarianism, intolerance, cruelty, misogyny, and homophobia, while its presumed antonyms are Christianity, the West, liberalism, individualism, freedom, citizenship...

Differences among religious communities have motivated – and continue to motivate – many of the deadliest conflicts in human history. But how did political power and organized religion become so thoroughly intertwined? And how have religion and relig...

"Secularizing Islamists?" provides an in-depth analysis of two Islamist parties in Pakistan, the highly influential Jama'at-e-Islami and the more militant Jama'at-ud-Da'wa, widely blamed for the November 2008 terrorist attack in Mumbai, India. Basing...

The events of 9/11 had a profound impact on American society, but they had an even more lasting effect on Muslims living in the United States. Once practically invisible, they suddenly found themselves overexposed. By describing how Islam in America...

The central question of the Arab Spring – what democracies should look like in the deeply religious countries of the Middle East – has developed into a vigorous debate over these nations' secular identities. But what, exactly, is secularism? What has...

Why has religion persisted across the course of human history? Secularists have predicted the end of faith for a long time, but religions continue to attract followers. Meanwhile, scholars of religion have expanded their field to such an extent that...