A New Introduction to Islam (Wiley Desktop Editions)
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Product Description
Review
"The ideal mixture of sympathetic description and critical analysis. Careful not only to present the full range of Muslim interpretations of important events, movements, texts, and doctrines, but also to provide penetrating historical assessments of the key issues, this is the only introductory book that integrates the latest scholarship on Islamic history, the canonization of the Qur’an, and the development of hadiths. Furthermore, this integrative approach also highlights the interconnectedness of religion, theology, law, and politics of Islam."
Herbert Berg, University of North Carolina Wilmington
Herbert Berg, University of North Carolina Wilmington
Product Description
The second edition of this student–friendly textbook explores the origins, major features and lasting influence of the Islamic tradition.
- Traces the development of Muslim beliefs and practices against the background of social and cultural contexts extending from North Africa to South and Southeast Asia
- Fully revised for the second edition, with completely new opening and closing chapters considering key issues facing Islam in the 21st century
- Focuses greater attention on everyday practices, the role of women in Muslim societies, and offers additional material on Islam in America
- Includes detailed chronologies, tables summarizing key information, useful maps and diagrams, and many more illustrations
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Paperback
Really good book, helped as I am studying Islam at Uinversity and didn't have the basic knowledge of this religion
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4 reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Easy-access intro to Islam
12 Sep 2009
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I bought the new second edition of this text for an introductory course on Islam and ended up reading the entire book before the class even started. It's well written and organized, a vital necessity with 1400 years of ground to cover. Of course there are the narratives and basic info that any introductory work would include, but Brown also uses good examples to bring things into perspective: for instance the "Coffee Debate" illustrates how Islamic law actually operates. The book is up-to-date not only in its discussion of issues like "Islam and Modernity" but also in bringing up recent scholarly debates about the Koran and Islamic traditions. I found myself constantly saying, "So that's why," in regard to controversial issues like gender or the sharia.
Brown is sympathetic to his topic, but avoids an apologetic stance and tends to let facts speak for themselves. It's very much to his credit that someone like myself, a devout believer in a "heretical" religion, comes away from the book with far greater respect for Islam as a whole, and a thirst to know more. For that purpose the numerous references and bibliography are solid and useful. There's also a concise 10-page glossary for us non-Arabists.
Brown is sympathetic to his topic, but avoids an apologetic stance and tends to let facts speak for themselves. It's very much to his credit that someone like myself, a devout believer in a "heretical" religion, comes away from the book with far greater respect for Islam as a whole, and a thirst to know more. For that purpose the numerous references and bibliography are solid and useful. There's also a concise 10-page glossary for us non-Arabists.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Better than Esposito
19 Jan 2011
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
My review is really in response to John Esposito's book which was previously used for the Intro to Islam class at my university. This book is breath of fresh air. I have only read a couple chapters so far, but Brown tells you more explicitly WHERE Muslims get their information about things such as Muhammad's life. This was missing in the equivalent Esposito book for the most part. Also I see Brown as very fair in his analysis, just the right amount of critical. This is a very basic textbook but a good one for an Intro class. Esposito has the tendency to make Islam appear perfect, and is not critical of any areas of it. Brown does a much fairer job.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Historical introduction to Islam
2 May 2010
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is an undergraduate college textbook, and it reads like one. I found it interesting, though the style is rather dry. I appreciated the history of Islam being provided in the context of the religious ferment that was going at the time -- particularly the unorthodox Christian sects that had been driven out of the Byzantine empire into the desert regions. Mohammed apparently had contact with several of these groups during his travels, and his views and perspectives on Christianity were influenced by their theology. It was also interesting to read how in the early years, Muslims and Jews found common cause in their opposition to Christianity. All in all, an excellent overview of the history of Islam, the major (and minor) Islamic sects, Islamic theology, interpretations of Islamic law, etc. If you want an objective, non-polemic introduction to this important religion, this is a good one.
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