An Introduction to Islam in the 21st Century. Aminah Beverly McCloud, Scott W. Hibbard, and Laith Saud (Eds.)

Since John L. Esposito edited The Oxford History of Islam (Oxford University Press, 1999) there has not appeared a comprehensive reference book covering Islamic history with regional studies from the classical to contemporary eras and throwing light on contemporary challenges. This team-edited volume An Introduction to Islam in the 21st Century provides an overview of the Islamic tradition for Western readers which captures its diversity, interpretive debates, and regional differences. It begins with the social and political realities informing 21st century Islamic practice, and examines varying interpretations and debates over hotly debated issues such as the phenomenon of militancy, Islamophobia, and the teaching of Islam in the West. The central approach is that the “image of Islam (particularly in the West) is very different from the lived reality of over a billion adherents around the globe” (p.4). An accessible introduction to Islam, An Introduction to Islam in the 21st Century announces itself as a western-oriented contemporary product.