
Lifeworlds of Islam
The Pragmatics of a Religion
Mohammed A. Bamyeh(Author)
Oxford University Press Inc
Published on 6. June 2019
Book
Hardback
256 pages
978-0-19-028056-7 (ISBN)
Description
How do old ideas continue to appear relevant in a modern world? A sociological approach to Islam allow us to approach an answer to this question.
In Lifeworlds of Islam, Mohammad Bamyeh shows that Islam has typically operated not in the form of standard dogmas, but more often as a compass for practical individual orientations or "lifeworlds." Through a comprehensive sociological analysis of Islam, he maps out how Muslims have employed the faith to foster global networks, public philosophies, and engaged civic lives both historically and in the present. Bamyeh further argues that all three fields are poorly understood in recent literature, which tends to focus on one specific problem or another and does not take into account the variety of lifeworlds in which Islam operates. The book contends that the larger preoccupations of ordinary Muslims-how to imagine a global society, how to guide life in the manner of a total philosophy, and how to relate to the world of daily struggles in organized or semi-organized civic forums and social movements-are neither unique to the present period nor to religious life. They are rather shared universal quandaries.
A focused empirical lens on the career of a religion, Lifeworlds of Islam contributes to the larger literature and provides insight into the nature of global citizenship, the philosophical needs of individuals, and the ethical values that foster social participation.
In Lifeworlds of Islam, Mohammad Bamyeh shows that Islam has typically operated not in the form of standard dogmas, but more often as a compass for practical individual orientations or "lifeworlds." Through a comprehensive sociological analysis of Islam, he maps out how Muslims have employed the faith to foster global networks, public philosophies, and engaged civic lives both historically and in the present. Bamyeh further argues that all three fields are poorly understood in recent literature, which tends to focus on one specific problem or another and does not take into account the variety of lifeworlds in which Islam operates. The book contends that the larger preoccupations of ordinary Muslims-how to imagine a global society, how to guide life in the manner of a total philosophy, and how to relate to the world of daily struggles in organized or semi-organized civic forums and social movements-are neither unique to the present period nor to religious life. They are rather shared universal quandaries.
A focused empirical lens on the career of a religion, Lifeworlds of Islam contributes to the larger literature and provides insight into the nature of global citizenship, the philosophical needs of individuals, and the ethical values that foster social participation.
Reviews / Votes
Bamyeh examines Islam in terms of three lifeworlds, or realms of individual experience (both from the past and in the present)-the social, the philosophical, and the global-and he devotes a chapter to each. Comparatively little has been written on this topic, as the author admits, so his thoughtful and well-articulated book makes a significant addition to the scholarly literature on Islam... Summing up: Recommended * J. Jaeger, CHOICE * Lifeworlds of Islam is a product of immense learning with an impressive historical and geographical span across multiple periods of Islamic history and many Muslim-majority societies. Moreover, the author succeeds in deriving lucid and substantial arguments out of this vast material. * Ates Altinordu, American Journal of Sociology *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
4 Line drawings; 1 Halftone
Dimensions
Height: 239 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
499 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-028056-7 (9780190280567)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
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Additional editions

Book
09/2021
Oxford University Press Inc
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E-Book
04/2019
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€17.49
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E-Book
04/2019
1st Edition
OUP eBook
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Person
Mohammed Bamyeh is Professor of Sociology at the University of Pittsburgh. He was the lead author of Social Sciences in the Arab World (2015). His other books include The Social Origins of Islam; Intellectuals and Civil Society in the Middle East; Anarchy as Order; The Ends of Globalization; and Of Death and Dominion; in addition to a few edited volumes. Previously he served as the editor of International Sociology Reviews and is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of the Arab Council for the Social Sciences (ACSS).
Content
- Introduction: Islam as Lifeworlds,
- 1. Islam as Social Movement
- 2. Islam as Public Philosophy
- 3. Islam as Global Order
- Conclusion: Islam as Reserve Discourse
- Works cited