Islam (World Religions) - Hardcover

Gordon, Matthew S.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0816066124 ISBN 13: 9780816066124

Publisher: Facts on File, 2006

Synopsis

Examines the history, tenets, and practices of Islam from its origins to the present day, and discusses the modern relationship between religion and politics.

About this title

About the Author:

Matthew S. Gordon is Assistant Professor of History at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. He is the co-editor of Islam and Franco-Arab Encounters.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 7–10—Gordon's update of his 2001 edition includes developments in Afghanistan and Iraq, new census data on the increase of Muslims in the U.S., and half a dozen recent books as further reading. A paragraph in the introduction addressing the association of violence and extremism with Islam cites events in the past five years and adds to the history of Western stereotypes of Muslims. The author includes a slightly more detailed account of Islam's imperial past and subsequent reform movements (still omitting Sayyid Qutb). Oddly, the account of Iran ends with moderate Khatami, not Ahmadinejad. Only two illustrations are different (ordinary Muslims replace Khomeini and Tansu Ciller). All but a tiny part of the text remains unchanged. Changes in Hartz's 2002 volume are even harder to discern. Some white space has been used for more excerpts from Baha'i texts, and a couple of new titles appear in the bibliography. A few pages on "Spreading the Faith" have been rewritten (though the accompanying growth chart still ends in 2001). Membership figures are either very conservative or outdated. The section on persecution, especially in Iran, is expanded, though it does not mention Iran's 2004 destruction of sites revered by Baha'is, for instance, or the death of another Baha'i in an Iranian prison in 2005. Only one of the functional black-and-white photos is different. These minimally altered editions preserve the clarity, coverage, and concision of the originals. Both volumes are worth having, but upgrading to the new editions is largely optional.—Patricia D. Lothrop, St. George's School, Newport, RI
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About this edition

• Publisher: Facts on File
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0816066124
• ISBN 13: 9780816066124
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 3
• Number of pages: 128