The Future of Islam

For John L. Esposito, writing on Islam and Muslim politics has been both a“profession and a vocation” for over three decades. Thus this book is a “culmination”of his work and experience, wherein one finds a sea change injust few decades, as “Islam and Muslim politics have moved from offstageto center stage” (p. 4). Thus one witnesses “an explosion of interest in andcoverage of Islam” (p. 4) and Muslims because both are now political aswell as religious matters of interest. In fact, Islam is considered “not only afaith … [but] also an ideology and worldview that informs Muslim politicsand society” (p. 4). The Future of Islam is about “all of our future,” andthrough this book Esposito wants to tell the story of “how we got to wherewe are and what we need to understand and do to create … ‘a new way forward’”(p. 6).This new edition seeks to understand the struggle for reform in Islam andMuslim societies in order to “explore the religious, cultural, and political diversityof Muslims facing daunting challenges in Muslim countries in thewest, to clarify the debate and dynamics of Islamic reform, to examine the attemptto combat religious extremism and terrorism, and to look into the futureof Muslim-West relations” (p. 3). Divided into four main chapters, it is precededby Karen Armstrong’s foreword, a preface, and an introduction. It endswith a precise but perceptive and discerning conclusion ...