Islam and Secularism in Post-Colonial Thought

This book is a theoretically and historically informed exploration of 'secularism' in Muslim contexts. It does this through a critical assessment of an influential tradition of thinking about Islam and secularism, derived from the work of anthropologist Talal Asad and his followers. The study employs the tools of comparative historical sociology and sociology of knowledge to engage with the assumptions of Asadian theory. Ultimately, Enayat argues against nativist assertions drawn from the experience of Western modernity and provides a qualified defense of secularism.

Summarizes and critically evaluates an influential but challenging body of scholarship in accessible language Appeals to students and academics of multiple disciplines including the sociology of religion, post-colonial theory and Middle East studies Has crossover interest for human rights activists and constitutional scholars

Autorentext
Hadi Enayat is Visiting Lecturer at the Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilizations, Aga Khan University, London, UK. His book Law, State and Society in Modern Iran won the 2013 Biennial Mossadegh Prize.

Inhalt
1: Introduction.- 2: Secularism, Christianity and Imperialism.- 3: Violence, Governmentality and the 'Othering' of the Modern Nation-State.- 4: Secular and Religious Criticism and Islam as a 'Discursive Tradition'.- 5: Secularization Theory and its Discontents.- Chapter 6: The Body, the Self and Agency.- Chapter 7: Genealogies of Religious Freedom and Minority Rights.- 8: Conclusion.