Freedom: Christian and Muslim Perspectives: A Record of the Eighteenth Building Bridges Seminar

Abstract

thorough methodology and clear writing style make the handbook accessible to a broader audience without undermining its scholarly contribution. It will stimulate discussion that will be of interest to those studying and following Islamic sects, Islamic political thought and Islamic movements. The material demonstrates the dynamism and diversity of Islam while largely avoiding oversimplification or essentialism. In addition, the chapters make several contributions to the current literature on secularization, modernism, anti-colonialism and reactionism in current Islam through consideration of their historical background. Upal and Cuzack offer a timely work, and the volume is likely to become the standard primer on the subject. It will serve as a gateway to readers new to the fields of Islamic sects and movements, including militant groups such as ISIS, or to the history of the Sunni and Shi’a traditions, and will appeal to those interested in the variety of influential cultural and political currents in Islam around the world.