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This is the first comparative study of Mosaic and Islamic law in American history to be published. Constructing a complex picture in trans-Atlantic, trans-European and world historical perspectives, this book elucidates the intersections that lie beneath and behind the rise of the debates in the 1990s and 2000s over the promotion of the Ten Commandments and Mosaic Law as alleged sources of American Constitutional law and symbols of American national identity. These debates have taken shape in close connection with resurgent anti-Semitism, anti-Sharia protests and anti-Sharia legislation throughout the United States and other Western societies.
List of contents
1. The Recent National and International Past as Prelude.- Section One: Mosaic Law and Islamic Natural Law in the pre-Founding, Founding and Early post-Founding Eras, 1640-1830.- 2. The Transatlantic Mingling of Christian, European Jewish and Islamic Views of Mosaic and Islamic Law, 1625-1800.- 3. John Adams, Mosaic Law and the Boston Massacre Trial against the Backdrop of English Royal Revisions of New England Puritan Law, 1640-1800.- 4. Franklin, Witherspoon, Jefferson and American National Law against the Backdrop of English and Scottish Enlightenment Views of Mosaic Law, 1755-1800.- 5. Reservations and Ruminations among Key American Founders over the Historicity, Authenticity and Authority of Mosaic Law, 1770-1830.- 6. Banterings, Jestings, Historical Precedents & Typological Appropriations of the Mosaic Corpus among Key American Founders, 1760-1800.- 7. The Jews and Torah in Early America, 1654-1830.- 8. Retrospect: Toward Clarifying the Place and Role of Mosaic Law in the American Founding, 1785-1850.- Section Two: Islamic and Comparative Mosaic-Jewish and Christian Law & Ethics among American Founders and Various American Commentators and Observers, 1700-1830.- 9. Islamic and Comparative Mosaic-Jewish and Christian Law and Ethics in Cotton Mather, George Sale, Abraham Hyacinth Anquetil-Duperron and Key American Founders, 1700-1800.- 10. Islamic and Comparative Mosaic-Jewish and Christian Law & Ethics in American Historical-Geographical, Naval-Merchant and Diplomatic Accounts, 1795-1830.- 11. Scaffolding, Foundations, Framings and Sources for the Study.
About the author
R. Charles Weller, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of History (Career), Washington State University, USA, and Senior Research Fellow, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Kazakhstan. He has also been a visiting fellow at Yale University (2010-11), a non-residential visiting researcher at Georgetown University's Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding (2014-2019) and Affiliate Faculty of History (Research) at George Mason University (2021-22).
