Islamization and Archaeology: Religion, Culture and New Materialism

This book offers a new approach to the study of Islamization by treating it as a case of cultural change. It adopts a hermeneutical stance and a New Materialist theoretical analysis to explore Islamization and its impact on identities, communities, and their material culture. It overcomes the theoretical limits imposed by religious conversion and ideological imposition and will appeal to scholars interested in associating cultural and religious change, particularly in the study of Islam.

Format: Hardback
Length: 200 pages
Publication date: 01 June 2023
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

This groundbreaking approach to the study of Islamization presents a novel conceptual framework that treats the subject as a unique instance of cultural transformation. The primary objective of this volume is to facilitate the archaeological and historical examination of changes in the material conditions of life while maintaining a steadfast focus on the distinct history of Islam. It is essential to comprehend Islam and Islamization within their specific social contexts, as well as in relation to the factors that unite them across vast geographical and temporal spans.

Archaeologists and historians have approached Islamization from various angles, ranging from conversion to cultural change, although these studies have often been guided by a normative understanding of Islam. In contrast, José C. Carvajal López adopts a hermeneutical perspective, wherein Islam emerges as the outcome of exploration, and employs a New Materialist theoretical analysis to investigate Islamization and its profound effects on identities, communities, and their material culture. The implications of this innovative study of Islamization are explored through illustrative examples, including some of the author's personal experiences.

This approach to Islamization extends beyond the mere spread of religion or politics and thus transcends the theoretical boundaries imposed by concepts such as religious conversion and ideological imposition. This book will captivate scholars with an interest in exploring the intersection of cultural and religious change, particularly those engaged in the study of Islam, whether within or outside the realm of archaeology.

Weight: 370g
Dimension: 224 x 147 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350006669