The Sociology of Islam Knowledge, Power and Civility [Hardcover]

The Sociology of Islam provides an accessible introduction to this emerging field of inquiry, teaching and debate. The study is located at the crucial intersection between a variety of disciplines in the social sciences and the humanities. It discusses the long-term dynamics of Islam as both a religion and as a social, political and cultural force.

The volume focuses on ideas of knowledge, power and civility to provide students and readers with analytic and critical thinking frameworks for understanding the complex social facets of Islamic traditions and institutions. The study of the sociology of Islam improves the understanding of Islam as a diverse force that drives a variety of social and political arrangements.

Delving into both conceptual questions and historical interpretations, The Sociology of Islam is a transdisciplinary, comparative resource for students, scholars, and policy makers seeking to understand Islam’s complex changes throughout history and its impact on the modern world.

Introduction 1

Knowledge and Power in the Sociology of Islam 1

Knowledge/Charisma vs. Power/Wealth: The Challenge of Religious Movements 18

Civility as the Engine of the Knowledge–Power Equation: Islam and ‘Islamdom’ 23

PART I Patterns of Civility

1 The Limits of Civil Society and the Path to Civility 43

The Origins of Modern Civil Society 43

Civil Society as a Site of Production of Modern Power 50

Folding Civil Society into a Transversal Notion of Civility 57

2 Brotherhood as a Matrix of Civility: The Islamic Ecumene and Beyond 73

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