What is Islamic Studies?

Featuring contributions from anthropologists, historians and scholars of religion, this book explores the passionate, divided and evolving field of Islamic Studies in Europe and North America, past and present covering topics from secularism and gender to pop music and modern science.

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The study of Islam and Muslims in Europe and North America has expanded greatly in recent decades, becoming a passionately debated and divided field. This collection critically assesses the development of the field of Islamic Studies and its place in society. Featuring contributions from anthropologists, historians and scholars of religion, each chapter contains new empirical material and discusses approaches to the study of Islam, past and present. The book situates Islamic Studies within broader discussions of the construction of identity and its political implications in Europe and North America. Authors also address tensions between normative and non-normative approaches to the study of Islam and Muslims and consider how these might be reconciled.