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List of contents
Part I. The Near East before Islam: 1. Introduction; 2. The religions of late antiquity; 3. Arabia before Islam; 4. The early seventh century; Part II. The Emergence of Islam, 600-750: 5. Approaches and problems; 6. The origins of the Muslim community; 7. Early Islam in the Near East; 8. The Umayyad period; 9. The beginnings of sectarianism; 10. The non-Muslims of early Islam; 11. The 'Abbasid revolution; Part III. The Consolidation of Islam, 750-1000: 12. Issues of Islamic identity; 13. Religion and politics; 14. Shi'ism; 15. The formation of Sunni traditionalism; 16. Asceticism and mysticism; 17. The non-Muslim communities; Part IV. Medieval Islam, 1000-1500: 18. The medieval Islamic Near East; 19. A Sunni 'revival'?; 20. Common patterns in social and political organization; 21. Modes of justice; 22. The transmission of religious knowledge; 23. Sufism; 24. Popular religion; Epilogue: 25. From medieval to modern Islam.
About the author
Jonathan P. Berkey is Associate Professor of History at Davidson College. His publications include Popular Preaching and Religious Authority in the Medieval Islamic Near East (2001).
Summary
Jonathan Berkey's 2005 book surveys the religious history of the peoples of the Near East from 600 to 1800 CE. While the focus of the book is the formation of Islam, the relationship between Islam and other religious traditions is also a central theme. The book is intended for students.
