Islam

Writing an introduction to such a vast, complex and disputed topic as Islam is to say the least a challenge. But Catharina Raudvere has executed this task with great imaginativeness, while displaying due sensitivity to detail and diversity. Descriptions and analyses creatively alternate between abstract notions of theology, jurisprudence and ethics, on the one hand, and details of daily life, rituals and experiences, on the other hand. Past and present are here ingeniously knitted together, so that the long continuities of Islam as a civilization are underlined. The author succeeds in representing Islam as a living tradition: a tradition in the making right now. Though her book is written for undergraduates, it provides a level of discourse challenging enough to pique the intellectual curiosity of a wider public of academics and educated lay people. A sound balance is struck between the pedagogical objective of conveying the basic aspects of Islam and of providing critical insight into various popular narratives and research agendas related to Islam. It is one of the great merits of the book that the author's proficiency in women's studies compensates for the lack of such perspectives in much of the scholarly literature about Islam. Of particular benefit is the emphasis given to quotations from the Koran. This approach literally and tangibly conveys the importance to Muslims of the holy book. In sum, Raudvere offers an unusually comprehensive, richly illustrated, up-to-date and enjoyable introduction to Islam. It is easy to grasp, without being simplistic, and represents instructive reading for students and rewarding teaching material for instructors. -Elisabeth Ozdalga, Professor of Political Science, Bilkent University, author of The Veiling Issue: Official Secularism and Popular Islam in Modern Turkey