Friends of God - by John Renard (Paperback)

About the Book

"I know of no other work in Western scholarship and pedagogy of Islamic studies with the scope and depth of "Friends of God." Renard does not only provide well organized, richly detailed, absorbing, and delightful coverage of the best known literature on Muslim saints and sainthood, but he also brings the reader into modern and contemporary contexts where the subject continues to be of considerable personal and communal spiritual importance. This book is new and urgently needed in today's world, whether in the university or across the global landscape of adult reflection on Islam and Muslims. "--Frederick Mathewson Denny, author of "An Introduction to Islam" and Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at the University of Colorado, at Boulder

Book Synopsis

Prophets, saints, martyrs, sages, and seers--one of the richest repositories of lore about such exemplary religious figures belongs to the world's approximately 1.3 billion Muslims. Illuminating some of the most delightful tales in world religious literature, this engaging book is the first truly global overview of Islamic hagiography. John Renard tells of the characters beyond the Qur'an and Hadith, whose stories of piety and service to God and humanity have captured hearts and minds for nearly fourteen hundred years. Renard's thematic approach to the major characters, narratives, social and cultural contexts, and theoretical concepts of this remarkable treasury of tales, based on material ranging from the eighth to the twentieth centuries and from countries ranging from Morocco to Malaysia, provides insight into the ways in which these stories have functioned in the lives of Muslims from diverse cultural, social, economic, and political backgrounds. The book also serves as a useful and evocative tool for approaching the vast geographical and chronological sweep of Islamic civilization.

From the Back Cover

"I know of no other work in Western scholarship and pedagogy of Islamic studies with the scope and depth of Friends of God. Renard does not only provide well organized, richly detailed, absorbing, and delightful coverage of the best known literature on Muslim saints and sainthood, but he also brings the reader into modern and contemporary contexts where the subject continues to be of considerable personal and communal spiritual importance. This book is new and urgently needed in today's world, whether in the university or across the global landscape of adult reflection on Islam and Muslims. "--Frederick Mathewson Denny, author of An Introduction to Islam and Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at the University of Colorado, at Boulder

Review Quotes

"Reading this book is to step into . . . a lively world where spiritual things matter and influence ordinary lives."-- "Theology, Ethics And Philosophy" (7/9/2010 12:00:00 AM)

"Renard's book has rendered a valuable service to the field of Islamic studies."--Alexander Knysh, University of Michigan "Jrnl Of The American Oriental Society" (1/1/2010 12:00:00 AM)

"This book should be a staple on library shelves and on graduate reading lists."--Stacy E. Holden "The Historian" (6/30/2010 12:00:00 AM)

About the Author

John Renard is Professor of Theological Studies at Saint Louis University. He is author of Seven Doors to Islam: Spirituality and the Religious Life of Muslims, Windows on the House of Islam (both from UC Press) and All the King's Falcons: Rumi on Prophets and Revelation among many other books.