CCST219 Encountering Islam

The acclaimed New Encyclopedia of Islam comprehensively encompasses the beliefs, practices, history, and culture of the Islamic world in a single, accessible volume. Now extensively revised and updated with over 300 new entries, The New Encyclopedia of Islam describes all aspects of the religion, from its rituals, sects, and prayers to its political movements, social institutions, and spiritual and political leaders; from the art and architecture of Islam, to its history and ethnography; from its nations and states to its languages, science, and major centers of learning. This unique single-volume work, now consisting of over 1400 entries, has been fully revised and contains a wide range of new entries covering the contemporary Islamic scene, including a substantial entry on the Taliban, plus information on many other organizations and movements that are critical to understanding Islam's role in today's religious and political conflicts. Previous editions have won worldwide acclaim for their research, clarity and graceful style. This new edition also contains an extensively revised chronology spanning the entire history of Islam, from its origins through developments in the Muslim world today.

Provides comprehensive coverage of the religion, lifestyles, politics, culture and history of Islamic societies, from the birth of Muhammad to the present.

This concise reference guide is designed specifically for readers and students who wish to learn more about the world's fastest-growing religion. Fully illustrated, the encyclopedia contains hundreds of alphabetically arranged entries which give succinct yet authoritative information on everything from the Qur'an and its origins to the role of Islam in the USA.

In contrast to many books on Islam that focus on political rhetoric and activism, this book explores Islam's extraordinarily rich cultural and artistic diversity, showing how sound, music and bodily performance offer a window onto the subtleties and humanity of Islamic religious experience.  Through a wide range of case studies from West Asia, South Asia and North Africa and their diasporas - including studies of Sufi chanting in Egypt and Morocco, dance in Afghanistan, and "Muslim punk" on-line - the book demonstrates how Islam should not be conceived of as being monolithic or monocultural, how there is a large disagreement within Islam as to how music and performance should be approached, such disagreements being closely related to debates about orthodoxy, secularism, and moderate and fundamental Islam, and how important cultural activities have been, and continue to be, for the formation of Muslim identity.  

This title explores the vital intersection between artistic production and Islamic discourse in the Muslim world. The contributors to this volume investigate the historical and structural conditions that impede or facilitate the emergence of a 'post-Islamist' cultural sphere.