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Title details for Islam Evolving by Taner Edis - Available

Islam Evolving

Radicalism, Reformation, and the Uneasy Relationship with the Secular West

by Taner Edis
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How is Islam adapting to the rapid changes of the 21st century? Despite political unrest and terrorism, the author argues that many Muslim societies are successfully developing their own versions of modern life. In contrast to the secular liberal model that prevails in the West, Islam is demonstrating alternative ways to be modern while maintaining a distinctly Muslim worldview.

Professor Edis, an American physicist with a secular viewpoint who was raised in Turkey, is uniquely qualified to evaluate the interplay of modern trends and Islamic values. He devotes separate chapters to prominent examples of what he calls Islam's "pious modernity." For instance, while most Muslim societies embrace the applied sciences and technology, they are cooler toward aspects of science with materialist implications. They are also enthusiastically adopting a market economy and consumerism, while preserving Muslim religious values. Even in such controversial areas as multiculturalism, individual human rights, freedom of speech, and gender roles, the author shows that Muslim societies are drawn toward a flexible conservatism. He critically evaluates attempts to import Western political and cultural notions into Muslim societies and draws interesting parallels between conservative Christian reactions to secular society and similar responses in Islam.

This balanced overview of Islam's relationship with the modern world will be of interest to open-minded readers in both the West and the East.

From the Hardcover edition.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    June 14, 2016

  • Formats

    • Kindle Book

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9781633881907
      • File size: 651 KB

    • EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9781633881907
      • File size: 650 KB

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      April 11, 2016
      Edis, a professor of physics at Truman State University, explores how contemporary Muslims balance the tensions between traditional Islamic religious values and the values of the secular West as they deal with the modern world. Citing comprehensive research that supplements insights from his personal experiences, Edis muses on a wide variety of topics related to Islam and modernity: the role of women, the pursuit of science and technology, the treatment of former believers, societal attitudes toward violence. He also considers how Muslim approaches vary within and among different Muslim societies, in particular contrasting Turkey with many of the Arab Gulf countries. This plethora of interesting examples weakens the book’s central argument that Muslims are adapting to modernity with a distinctly Islamic worldview, as Edis gets lost in exploring variety without fully demonstrating similarity. However, for readers looking to explore the basics of some issues between Islam and the secular West, the book will serve well as an introduction.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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