Islam - (Wiley Blackwell Brief Histories of Religion) 3rd Edition by Tamara Sonn (Paperback)

About the Book

"Now available in a fully revised and updated third edition, Islam: History, Religion and Politics, provides a comprehensive and engaging introduction to the core teachings, historical development, and contemporary public struggles of Islam. Featuring a new chapter on the Arab Spring, this edition also includes up-to-date analysis of the civil wars in Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, and a detailed study of the rise of modern terrorist groups Boko Haram and ISIS. This illuminating introduction spans Islamic history from the life of Muhammad and the birth of Islamic ideals, through Islam's phenomenal geographical expansion and cultural development, to the creation of modern states and Islam's role in today's global society. Written by a leading scholar of Islamic studies, the third edition of this well-respected introduction will continue to be an essential tool for anyone interested in better understanding the evolution of this influential and politically-charged world religion"--

Book Synopsis

Now available in a fully-revised and updated third edition, Islam: History, Religion and Politics, provides a comprehensive and engaging introduction to the core teachings, historical development, and contemporary public struggles of Islam.

• Features a new chapter on the Arab Spring and the ongoing struggles for representative governance throughout the Muslim world
• Includes up-to-date analysis of the civil wars in Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, including the rise of terrorist groups like Boko Haram and ISIS
• Spans Islamic history from the life of Muhammad and the birth of Islamic ideals, through Islam's phenomenal geographical expansion and cultural development, to the creation of modern states and its role in today's global society
• Written by a leading scholar of Islamic studies

From the Back Cover

" Tamara Sonn has given us a superbly written, thoroughly researched, and insightful book that provides an excellent study of one of the world's great faiths. It is an important work that should be read by all who want a true and in-depth understanding of a religion and culture that has a critical role in driving events touching all of us today."

General Anthony C. Zinni, USMC

" Tamara Sonn's signi cantly revised edition of Islam: History, Religion, and Politics assures its continued value and relevance as a major comprehensive brief history of Islam and Muslims from the rise and development of Islam to contemporary Islamic thought and politics."

John L. Esposito, Georgetown University

" Tamara Sonn has undertaken a herculean task: explaining and interpreting Islam, its practice in Muslim societies, its historical origins and trajectory, its core doctrines and eschatology, and its engagement with politics and modernity, for a general audience. She accomplishes this with a unique clarity, insight, and objectivity that makes this book an important contribution to our contemporary world. As long as Islam and Muslims are in the news, this book will serve as an excellent resource for students, the media, and the broader reading public."

Nader Hashemi, University of Denver

Now available in a fully revised and updated third edition, Islam: History, Religion, and Politics provides a comprehensive and engaging introduction to the core teachings, historical development, and contemporary public struggles of Islam. Featuring a new chapter on the Arab Spring, this edition also includes up-to-date analysis of the civil wars in Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen and a detailed study of the rise of modern terrorist groups Boko Haram and ISIS. This illuminating introduction spans Islamic history from the life of Muhammad and the birth of Islamic ideals, through Islam's phenomenal geographical expansion and cultural development, to the creation of modern states and Islam's role in today's global society.

Written by a leading scholar of Islamic studies, the third edition of this well-respected introduction will continue to be an essential tool for anyone interested in better understanding the evolution of this infl uential and politically charged world religion.

About the Author

Tamara Sonn is the Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani Professor in the History of Islam at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University. She has published numerous books, including Interpreting Islam: Bandali Jawzi's Islamic Intellectual History (1996), Comparing Religions through Law: Judaism and Islam (with J. Neusner, 1999), and most recently The Religion Toolkit: A Complete Guide to Religious Studies (with J. Morreall, 2011) and 50 Great Myths About Religion (with J. Morreall, 2014).