G ellner redux?

The work of E rnest G ellner continues to be an influential part of nationalism studies. A recent appraisal has raised questions about the argument that G ellner offered in his central text on nationalism, Nations and Nationalism . This article takes up other issues in G ellner's work on nationalism. The article examines G ellner's influential definition of nationalism and the interpretation that he placed on that definition, as well as his treatment of ‘political cohabitation’. It also pays more attention to G ellner's later work, namely, G ellner's discussion of ‘the time zones of nationalism’. The paper draws on secondary literature but its primary purpose is to assess the coherence of G ellner's arguments.