Following Muhammad: Rethinking Islam in the Contemporary World

Carl W. Ernst offers this introduction to the profound spiritual resources of Islam while clarifying diversity and debate within the tradition. He seeks to avoid the traps of sensational political expose and specialized scholarly Orientalism. One out of five people in the world are Muslim; only 18 percent of those, however, are Arab. Ernst moves away from a Middle Eastern bias, addressing the pluralistic nature of Muslim societies and thought. Framing his argument in terms of religious studies, Ernst describes how Protestant definitions of religion and anti-Muslim prejudice have affected views of Islam in Europe and America. He also covers the contemporary importance of Islam in both its traditional settings and its new locations and provides a context for understanding extremist movements like fundamentalism. With translations of selections from Islamic texts, Ernst offers access to Muslim voices and key themes, particularly the central role of the Prophet Muhammad. He concludes with an overview of critical debates on important contemporary issues such as gender and veiling, state politics, and science and religion. A selected reading list provides a guide for future study.…