The Anthropology of Islam Reader

The Anthropology of Islam Reader draws together a significant body of theoretical and ethnographic writing, providing detailed insight into the key epistemological and empirical questions being raised by scholars in the field. As the editor himself states, the volume aims to provide insight into ‘the ongoing debates already in play within the conceptual refinements and contested boundaries of what can be called the anthropology of Islam’ (p. 18). Reflexive critique of the identity and aims of the discipline remains prevalent throughout the chapters, providing a clear chronological sense of the developments as they have unfolded. The volume is divided into three main sections focusing on ‘theoretical approaches to Islam’, ‘religious practices of Islam’ and ‘methodological reflections on the anthropology of Islam’ (p. 14). Within the first section, on theoretical approaches, there are contributions from Gilsenan, Geertz, El-Zein and Asad. All four chapters reflect upon ontological challenges, exploring whether it is possible to speak of a single, unitary, objective Islam, and questioning whether it is helpful to make a distinction between folk Islam and elite Islam. In situating these essays sequentially as Kreinath has done, it becomes apparent to the reader how each of the four scholars has engaged with the works of their predecessors, helping to drive the debate forward. Asad (p. 105) in particular argues for conceptualising Islam as a ‘discursive tradition’ in which ‘a practice is Islamic because it is authorized by the discursive tradition of Islam.’ Whilst some readers are already likely to be familiar with the thesis of such renowned scholars, the juxtaposition of these chapters in such a manner is of novel value in allowing the reader to get a broader sense of the overall shaping of the field.