Oxford University Press Overcoming Orientalism: Essays in Honor of John L. Esposito

Orientalism is the term applied to scholarship that reduces Islam and Muslims to stereotypes of ignorance and violence in need of foreign control. It has been used to rationalize Europe's colonial domination of most of the Muslim world and continued American-led interventions in the post-colonial period. In the past 30 years it has been represented by claims that a monolithic Islam and equally monolithic West are distinct civilizations, sharing nothing in common and, indeed, involved in an inevitable "clash" from which only one can emerge the winner. Most recently, it has appeared in Alt Right rhetoric. Anti-Muslim sentiment, measured in public opinion polls, hate crime statistics, and legislation, is reaching record levels. Since John Esposito published his first book nearly 40 years ago, he has been guiding readers beyond such politically charged stereotypes. The essays in this volume highlight the contributions of scholars from a variety of disciplines who, like ― and often inspired by ― John Esposito, recognize the misleading and politically dangerous nature of Orientalist polarizations. They present Islam as a multi-faceted and dynamic tradition embraced by communities in globally interconnected but substantially diverse contexts over the centuries. The contributors follow Esposito's lead, stressing the profound commonalities among religions and replacing Orientalist discourse with holistic analyses of the complex historical phenomena that affect developments in all societies. In addition to chapters focusing on diversity among Muslims and interfaith relations, this collection includes chapters assessing the secular bias at the root of Orientalist scholarship, and contemporary iterations of Orientalism in the form of Islamophobia. Review Few scholars have so thoroughly contested the stereotyping of Islam and Muslims typical of the Orientalist tradition, so it is fitting that this volume celebrating his scholarly achievements should contain so many original perspectives on contemporary Muslim movements. The authors do not shy away from controversies, as with the brutality of the ISIS so-called Caliphate, but they carefully set such movements in social and historical context. This is an essential book for understanding the contemporary Muslim world, which interrogates the glib assumptions of so much writing about this key region. ― Juan Cole, Richard P. Mitchell Collegiate Professor of History, University of Michigan This volume is a worthy recognition of John Esposito's striking contributions over four decades to correcting the misperceptions and distortions in the public and policy apprehension, as well as the scholarly study, of Islam. Fittingly, it demystifies Islam by taking both the pull of first principles and the contestation over interpretations seriously. In so doing, it aptly highlights the possibilities of Scriptural manipulation and the variety of modern practice, but also the potential of religion to evolve and to elevate the human condition. ― James Piscatori, Co-author of Islam Beyond Borders: The Umma in World Politics Each of the authors applies Esposito's visionary identification of the flawed 'secular fundamentalist' approach of Western scholarship on political Islam to case studies that range from ISIS to interfaith dialogue and from Southeast Asia to Southside Chicago. This book brings into sharp relief the ways in which an awareness of the historic roots and contemporary shoots of Orientalism and Islamophobia are key to understanding culture and society on the level of the global, the local, and the individual. ― Anne K. Rasmussen, author of Author, Women, the Recited Qur'an, and Islamic Music in Indonesia Among his many academic accomplishments, John Esposito is especially esteemed for advancing the study of Islam as practiced and understood by Muslims the world over and for demonstrating its intrinsic importance as one of the three monotheistic faiths. In their articles