Bruce B. Lawrence Reader: Islam beyond Borders

Bruce B. Lawrence's reader assembles his key writings on Islamicate civilization and Muslim networks, exploring premodern and modern Islamic discourses, practices, and institutions, and methodological reflections on the contextual study of religion. Six methodologies organize the volume, including theorizing Islam, revaluing Muslim comparativists, translating Sufism, deconstructing religious modernity, networking Muslims, and reflecting on the Divine. Lawrence attributes the resilience of Islam to its cosmopolitan character and Muslims' engagement in cross-cultural dialogue, and several essays address the central role of institutional Sufism in Islamic history. The volume concludes with Lawrence's reflections on Islam's spiritual and aesthetic resources in the context of global comity.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 480 pages
Publication date: 11 January 2021
Publisher: Duke University Press

Bruce B. Lawrence has delved into the core aspects of Islamicate civilization and Muslim networks throughout his career. This reader brings together over two dozen of Lawrence's significant writings, including analyses of premodern and modern Islamic discourses, practices, and institutions, as well as methodological reflections on the contextual study of religion. The reader is organized around six methodologies: theorizing Islam, revaluing Muslim comparativists, translating Sufism, deconstructing religious modernity, networking Muslims, and reflecting on the Divine. Throughout, Lawrence emphasizes the resilience of Islam due to its cosmopolitan character and Muslims' engagement in cross-cultural dialogue. Several essays also highlight the significant role of institutional Sufism in various phases and domains of Islamic history. The volume concludes with Lawrence's reflections on Islam's spiritual and aesthetic resources in the context of global comity. This reader exemplifies Lawrence's prescient contributions to the study of Islam, which go beyond political and disciplinary boundaries and emphasize the importance of linking empathetic imagination with critical reflection.

Weight: 696g
Dimension: 152 x 229 x 30 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781478011293