Encounters with Islam: On Religion, Politics and Modernity

(Paperback)

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For many years Malise Ruthven has been at the forefront of discerning commentary on the Islamic world and its relations with the predominantly secularised and Christian societies of the West. Well known for his bold interventions on such issues as the Rushdie affair and publication of "The Satanic Verses"; the many unresolved questions relating to the Lockerbie bombing; and the globe-changing terrorist attack of 9/11, Ruthven's perceptive writings, particularly those that have appeared in the "New York Review of Books", reliably re-frame difficult issues and problems so that his readers are prompted to look at the challenges afresh. Ruthven is here at his most compelling: he offers astute and topical insights across the whole spectrum of Middle East and Islamic studies. Whether questioning the involvement of Libyan agents in the downing of Pan Am Flight 103; exploring the contested place of women in Islam; or discussing the disputed term 'Islamofascism' (his own), the author's probing, searchlight intelligence aims always to get at the truth of things, regardless of attendant controversy. Representing the 'best of Ruthven', these lucid essays will be widely appreciated by students, specialists and general readers. They transform our understandings of contemporary society.

Reviews

'Malise Ruthven is the leading British authority on modern Islam. His books are essential for understanding what is going on in the Middle East today, and Encounters with Islam is an ideal entree to his thinking on some vital issues.' - Robert Irwin 'Malise Ruthven has spent a lifetime studying Islam: as a cultural force, its role in politics, its place in international relations, and its place in ordinary people's lives. No one has been more consistent and persistent in trying to understand the wider forces which have shaped Islam's role and presence in the modern world; and fewer still have been so successful in educating the rest of us. It is therefore with great pleasure that I hold a copy of Malise's Encounters with Islam in my hand: he is as readable and instructive as ever!' - Anoush Ehteshami, Nasser Al-Sabah Professor of International Relations, Durham University 'There is no better guide to analysing and explaining the West's long engagement with Islam than Malise Ruthven. Accessible and - even more importantly - brilliantly judicious, his latest book is ever careful in this most treacherous of territories filled as it is with myth and fear. Here is a magisterial overview to help us understand these recent years of violent confrontation and stubborn misunderstanding. We have much to be grateful for in Ruthven's wise insights.' - Madeleine Bunting, The Guardian 'Over the last decade Malise Ruthven has consolidated his position as one of our most consistently sophisticated and stimulating writers on contemporary religion in general and Islam in particular. The essays here are as wide-ranging, versatile and intellectually curious as they are well-written, witty and constantly surprising. In a crowded field Ruthven remains way ahead of the pack.' - William Dalrymple

Author Bio

Malise Ruthven, described by the Guardian as "one of today's most perceptive observers and historians of religion", is internationally recognised for his work on Muslim thought and theology, fundamentalism, the social impact of religion and migration and the nexus between contemporary politics and belief. His many books include The Divine Supermarket: Travels in Search of the Soul of America (Tauris Parke Paperbacks, forthcoming) and Mormonism: An Introduction (I.B.Tauris, forthcoming).