What is Islamic Studies? European and North American Approaches to a Contested Field

Explores the vibrant, divided and evolving field of Islamic studies in Europe and North America • Covers topics ranging from gender and secularism to pop music and modern science • Discusses contemporary and historical approaches in Islamic Studies • Features contributions from leading scholars studying Islam and Muslims, including Shahzad Bashir, Hadi Enayat, Juliane Hammer, Aaron Hughes, Carool Kersten, Susanne Olsson and Jonas Otterbeck • Addresses the role of both Muslims and non-Muslims in the ongoing construction of Islam The study of Islam and Muslims in Europe and North America has expanded greatly in recent decades, becoming a passionately debated and divided field. This collection critically assesses the development of the field of Islamic Studies and its place in society. Featuring contributions from anthropologists, historians and scholars of religion, each chapter contains new empirical material and discusses approaches to the study of Islam, past and present. The book situates Islamic Studies within broader discussions of the construction of identity and its political implications in Europe and North America. Authors also address tensions between normative and non-normative approaches to the study of Islam and Muslims and consider how these might be reconciled.