Islam and the West: Critical Perspectives on Modernity

Product Description Since the terrorist attacks of September 11th the topic of Islam's political, cultural, religious, and spiritual tendencies and beliefs has been thrust into the spotlight. However, most discussions concerning Islam's relation to the West tend to simplify and distort the intricate nature of the problem. The essays in Islam and the West approach the interactions of Islam, the West, and modernity through overlapping social, historical, economic, cultural, and philosophical layers. Viewed through this complex prism of analysis, the full dimensions of the relationship become clear. The result is a deeper understanding of the nature of modernity and how other societies can relate to each other in an increasingly complex, globalizing world. Review This book offers readers very helpful insights and understanding of 'one of the great . . . tensions of modern times.' Highly recommended. ― Choice About the Author Michael J. Thompson is Professor of Political Science at William Paterson University. He is the author of The Republican Reinvention of Radicalism, The Perversion of Subjectivity: Toward a Critical Theory of Consciousness and The Politics of Inequality (2007). His many edited volumes include The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Theory and Georg Lukács Reconsidered: Critical Essays on Politics, Philosophy, and Aesthetics (2011).