Kingship defines, and expands, Muslim identity across continents and oceans. The symbols have bee... more Kingship defines, and expands, Muslim identity across continents and oceans. The symbols have been noted by numerous regional historians, but here they are traced across time and space in the Indian Ocean.
Is it even possible to imagine an interdisciplinary approach to the vast spectrum of religious ac... more Is it even possible to imagine an interdisciplinary approach to the vast spectrum of religious activity - beliefs and rituals, actors and institutions and, of course, narratives - during any century, including and especially the one just ended? That is my goal in this university lecture at ASU, made possible by the generous support of many friends from Arizona, Richard C. Martin chief among them.
An appreciation, but also a critique, of Edward Said's approach to building cultural bridges betw... more An appreciation, but also a critique, of Edward Said's approach to building cultural bridges between Islam and the West
Indian contributions to scholarship on Islam far surpasses recognition of the extent and importan... more Indian contributions to scholarship on Islam far surpasses recognition of the extent and importance of those contributions. This essay marks important themes, moments, and contributors over more than half a century.
Rene Girard may be surprised to find himself in Indonesia, but in trying to gauge whether the mod... more Rene Girard may be surprised to find himself in Indonesia, but in trying to gauge whether the modern nation-state is an arbiter or catalyst of violence, Indonesia provides a valuable test case of Girardian arguments and theses, evidence and aporia.
Aliya Izetbegovic and Octavio Paz are two of the enduring voices for timeless wisdom, and both ha... more Aliya Izetbegovic and Octavio Paz are two of the enduring voices for timeless wisdom, and both have spoken to the issue of territorial partisanship (aka nationalism) vs. spiritual allegiance (religion) in our time. I rely on both of them to explore fresh approaches to Islam as both subject and object of violence.
The subsets and major subjects of this article are women, human rights, and transnational civil s... more The subsets and major subjects of this article are women, human rights, and transnational civil societies, with special attention to the important role of diasporic communities.
An essay published in Sajoo, Companion to the Muslim World (2009), it recapitulates the expansive... more An essay published in Sajoo, Companion to the Muslim World (2009), it recapitulates the expansive, flexible nature of Muslim networks across time and place, from the 14th century world of Ibn Battuta to the 21st century world of Muslim cybernauts.
The Big Three - ands are reviewed: Islam and Science, Islam and Secularism, Islam and Post-Modern... more The Big Three - ands are reviewed: Islam and Science, Islam and Secularism, Islam and Post-Modernism, along with an overview of Islam in Cyberspace. My conclusion? The World Wide Web is not the final stage of Muslim modernism, just the most recent.
If there is a more beautiful book on a contemporary Indian painter
than this, I don't know it, or... more If there is a more beautiful book on a contemporary Indian painter than this, I don't know it, or its subject. I have contributed the final essay to this stunning volume edited by Sumathi Ramaswamy. I ask the question about the multiple layers of M.F. Husain's persona and how they are reflected in his last works, especially The Last Supper in Red Desert, also depicted on the cover for the volume as a whole.
An outstanding modernist painter,
renowned in India but also resident
in Dubai then Doha, M.F. Hu... more An outstanding modernist painter, renowned in India but also resident in Dubai then Doha, M.F. Husain shared his worldview with the author, and it is here described with reference to one of his least well known paintings, Bilal (2008), which could also be labeled Bilal as Barack Obama and vice versa.
For more than 30 years I have been alert to the misunderstanding, and resultant misuse, of techni... more For more than 30 years I have been alert to the misunderstanding, and resultant misuse, of technical terms. Chief among them are 'fundamentalism' and 'decline'. Here I revisit several efforts to think about post-1979 Islam as a 'fundamentalist' response to the perceived decline of Islam in the global order. A view from the Asian periphery includes Southeast Asia, along with South Asia, and allows us to avoid some facile generalizations that, alas, dot academic as well as popular assessments of Islam.
How does one capture a religious ideology in multiple forms? This paper compares Christian litera... more How does one capture a religious ideology in multiple forms? This paper compares Christian literalists and Jewish political activists with potential Muslim terrorists. In the late 90s it predicts with reference to Iran that the much touted hatred of the West could disappear overnight with some bold initiative from Washington.
How does post-modernism anticipate future studies of fundamentalism, and how does the work of Sad... more How does post-modernism anticipate future studies of fundamentalism, and how does the work of Sadeq al-Azm help us appreciate the nuances of terminology in both the social sciences and the humanities? Both queries are addressed in this essay.
It was only after 1979 that the term 'fundamentalism' became current in Western mainstream media,... more It was only after 1979 that the term 'fundamentalism' became current in Western mainstream media, then scholarship, often with reference to Iran but the truly distinctive feature of Iran, I argue, is not fundamentalism but revolution. I examine how accurate, or alternatively problematic, is the claim that what happened after 1979 was a genuine, transformative revolution.
The mid-90s survey first looks at differences among Muslims, in contrast with the too often monol... more The mid-90s survey first looks at differences among Muslims, in contrast with the too often monolithic media assessment of both Islam and Muslims. It then looks at humanist and cosmopolitan Muslim advocates, underscoring their creative vision of the future.
Beside the disenchanted Saudi Yemeni dissenter, there is the cosmic warrior, in large part a part... more Beside the disenchanted Saudi Yemeni dissenter, there is the cosmic warrior, in large part a partnered project with Al-Jazeera, dovetailing with the 'end' of the Cold War and creating a new Arab/Muslim enemy. In the aftermath of his death in May 2011, OBL and his legacy need to be assessed. This essay begins that still unfinished, and perhaps ever receding, process.
This long chapter in an edited volume on Islam in Asia (1984)
examines the evidence and controver... more This long chapter in an edited volume on Islam in Asia (1984) examines the evidence and controversies about conversion that derive from Persian biographies and British gazetteers concerned with Indo-Muslim saints.
Kingship defines, and expands, Muslim identity across continents and oceans. The symbols have bee... more Kingship defines, and expands, Muslim identity across continents and oceans. The symbols have been noted by numerous regional historians, but here they are traced across time and space in the Indian Ocean.
Is it even possible to imagine an interdisciplinary approach to the vast spectrum of religious ac... more Is it even possible to imagine an interdisciplinary approach to the vast spectrum of religious activity - beliefs and rituals, actors and institutions and, of course, narratives - during any century, including and especially the one just ended? That is my goal in this university lecture at ASU, made possible by the generous support of many friends from Arizona, Richard C. Martin chief among them.
An appreciation, but also a critique, of Edward Said's approach to building cultural bridges betw... more An appreciation, but also a critique, of Edward Said's approach to building cultural bridges between Islam and the West
Indian contributions to scholarship on Islam far surpasses recognition of the extent and importan... more Indian contributions to scholarship on Islam far surpasses recognition of the extent and importance of those contributions. This essay marks important themes, moments, and contributors over more than half a century.
Rene Girard may be surprised to find himself in Indonesia, but in trying to gauge whether the mod... more Rene Girard may be surprised to find himself in Indonesia, but in trying to gauge whether the modern nation-state is an arbiter or catalyst of violence, Indonesia provides a valuable test case of Girardian arguments and theses, evidence and aporia.
Aliya Izetbegovic and Octavio Paz are two of the enduring voices for timeless wisdom, and both ha... more Aliya Izetbegovic and Octavio Paz are two of the enduring voices for timeless wisdom, and both have spoken to the issue of territorial partisanship (aka nationalism) vs. spiritual allegiance (religion) in our time. I rely on both of them to explore fresh approaches to Islam as both subject and object of violence.
The subsets and major subjects of this article are women, human rights, and transnational civil s... more The subsets and major subjects of this article are women, human rights, and transnational civil societies, with special attention to the important role of diasporic communities.
An essay published in Sajoo, Companion to the Muslim World (2009), it recapitulates the expansive... more An essay published in Sajoo, Companion to the Muslim World (2009), it recapitulates the expansive, flexible nature of Muslim networks across time and place, from the 14th century world of Ibn Battuta to the 21st century world of Muslim cybernauts.
The Big Three - ands are reviewed: Islam and Science, Islam and Secularism, Islam and Post-Modern... more The Big Three - ands are reviewed: Islam and Science, Islam and Secularism, Islam and Post-Modernism, along with an overview of Islam in Cyberspace. My conclusion? The World Wide Web is not the final stage of Muslim modernism, just the most recent.
If there is a more beautiful book on a contemporary Indian painter
than this, I don't know it, or... more If there is a more beautiful book on a contemporary Indian painter than this, I don't know it, or its subject. I have contributed the final essay to this stunning volume edited by Sumathi Ramaswamy. I ask the question about the multiple layers of M.F. Husain's persona and how they are reflected in his last works, especially The Last Supper in Red Desert, also depicted on the cover for the volume as a whole.
An outstanding modernist painter,
renowned in India but also resident
in Dubai then Doha, M.F. Hu... more An outstanding modernist painter, renowned in India but also resident in Dubai then Doha, M.F. Husain shared his worldview with the author, and it is here described with reference to one of his least well known paintings, Bilal (2008), which could also be labeled Bilal as Barack Obama and vice versa.
For more than 30 years I have been alert to the misunderstanding, and resultant misuse, of techni... more For more than 30 years I have been alert to the misunderstanding, and resultant misuse, of technical terms. Chief among them are 'fundamentalism' and 'decline'. Here I revisit several efforts to think about post-1979 Islam as a 'fundamentalist' response to the perceived decline of Islam in the global order. A view from the Asian periphery includes Southeast Asia, along with South Asia, and allows us to avoid some facile generalizations that, alas, dot academic as well as popular assessments of Islam.
How does one capture a religious ideology in multiple forms? This paper compares Christian litera... more How does one capture a religious ideology in multiple forms? This paper compares Christian literalists and Jewish political activists with potential Muslim terrorists. In the late 90s it predicts with reference to Iran that the much touted hatred of the West could disappear overnight with some bold initiative from Washington.
How does post-modernism anticipate future studies of fundamentalism, and how does the work of Sad... more How does post-modernism anticipate future studies of fundamentalism, and how does the work of Sadeq al-Azm help us appreciate the nuances of terminology in both the social sciences and the humanities? Both queries are addressed in this essay.
It was only after 1979 that the term 'fundamentalism' became current in Western mainstream media,... more It was only after 1979 that the term 'fundamentalism' became current in Western mainstream media, then scholarship, often with reference to Iran but the truly distinctive feature of Iran, I argue, is not fundamentalism but revolution. I examine how accurate, or alternatively problematic, is the claim that what happened after 1979 was a genuine, transformative revolution.
The mid-90s survey first looks at differences among Muslims, in contrast with the too often monol... more The mid-90s survey first looks at differences among Muslims, in contrast with the too often monolithic media assessment of both Islam and Muslims. It then looks at humanist and cosmopolitan Muslim advocates, underscoring their creative vision of the future.
Beside the disenchanted Saudi Yemeni dissenter, there is the cosmic warrior, in large part a part... more Beside the disenchanted Saudi Yemeni dissenter, there is the cosmic warrior, in large part a partnered project with Al-Jazeera, dovetailing with the 'end' of the Cold War and creating a new Arab/Muslim enemy. In the aftermath of his death in May 2011, OBL and his legacy need to be assessed. This essay begins that still unfinished, and perhaps ever receding, process.
This long chapter in an edited volume on Islam in Asia (1984)
examines the evidence and controver... more This long chapter in an edited volume on Islam in Asia (1984) examines the evidence and controversies about conversion that derive from Persian biographies and British gazetteers concerned with Indo-Muslim saints.
The Divine Other as remembered, invoked, and practiced from the 7th to the 21st century, from Afr... more The Divine Other as remembered, invoked, and practiced from the 7th to the 21st century, from Africa to Asia, in Europe and America. Islamic Civilization and Muslim Networks (ICMN) series, University of North Carolina Press. March 2015. 240 pp.
Muhammad and the Qur'an in the Light of Comparison. Written by Marilyn Robinson Waldman & edited ... more Muhammad and the Qur'an in the Light of Comparison. Written by Marilyn Robinson Waldman & edited by me with assistance from two other colleagues, it is the major unpublished book of the last graduate student of Marshall G.S. Hodgson. Equinox Press. June 2012. 197 pp.
A critical appraisal of current, mostly European or American theorists of violence, with special ... more A critical appraisal of current, mostly European or American theorists of violence, with special attention to the crises in global politics that remain unresolved in the post-Cold War era., Co-authored with Aisha Karim (Xavier College, Chicago) and published by Duke University Press in November 2007; 2nd printing, September 2009. 420 pp.
One of a series of cross over books published by Grove Atlantic in two separate editions, America... more One of a series of cross over books published by Grove Atlantic in two separate editions, American and British, under the logo TEN BOOKS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD. UK edition: July 2006, American edition, Feb 2007. Translated into 18 foreign languages. 231 pp
The Statements of Osama Bin Laden. The first comprehensive collection of interviews, pronouncemen... more The Statements of Osama Bin Laden. The first comprehensive collection of interviews, pronouncements, and legal directives made by the now deceased Saudi fugitive/terrorist/global jihadist, with a fresh translation into English (by James Howarth), headnotes and an introduction. London & New York: Verso, November 2005. Translated into 12 foreign languages. 292 pp.
co-edited with miriam cooke. Chapel Hill, NC: UNC-CH Press, 2005. ISIM award for one of the top t... more co-edited with miriam cooke. Chapel Hill, NC: UNC-CH Press, 2005. ISIM award for one of the top ten books on Islam published in 2005. Reprinted from India, 2007. 325 pp.
Muslims & Other Asian Immigrants in American Religious Life. New York: Columbia University Press,... more Muslims & Other Asian Immigrants in American Religious Life. New York: Columbia University Press, 2002. . Based on ACLS lectures delivered at 8 campuses over 2 years. 197 pp.
The Chishti Brotherhood in South Asia & Beyond, co-authored with Carl Ernst. New York: Palgrave P... more The Chishti Brotherhood in South Asia & Beyond, co-authored with Carl Ernst. New York: Palgrave Press, 2002. Nominated for 2003 Coomaraswamy Prize as most original book on South Asian culture. 241 pp.
Rethinking Religious Identities in Islamicate South Asia, co-edited with David Gilmartin. Gainesv... more Rethinking Religious Identities in Islamicate South Asia, co-edited with David Gilmartin. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2000. Essays from the Rockefeller Institute on South Asian Islam and the Greater Muslim World, convened at Duke in April 1995. 354 pp.
Indianapolis: Macmillan USA, 1999. The first popular book on cyber-spirituality, it was written a... more Indianapolis: Macmillan USA, 1999. The first popular book on cyber-spirituality, it was written at publisher’s invitation in response to web page done for a seminar: “God Online”. 418 pp.
Islam Beyond Violence, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1998. Paperback edition: 2000. Spe... more Islam Beyond Violence, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1998. Paperback edition: 2000. Special Millennium Edition from Oxford University Press, Karachi: 2000. Arabic translation appeared in Spring 2003 from Obeikan Publishers of Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. Also translated into Bahasa (Indonesian). 237 pp.
(Conversations with Shaykh Nizam ad-din Awliya, d. 1325 AD), by Amir Hasan Sijzi. Translated fro... more (Conversations with Shaykh Nizam ad-din Awliya, d. 1325 AD), by Amir Hasan Sijzi. Translated from the Persian text, Fawa’id al-fu’ad, with General Introduction by K.A.Nizami. Classics of Western Spirituality Series. NY: Paulist Press, 1992. 312 pp.
The Fundamentalist Revolt Against the Modern Age, San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1989. London: I.B... more The Fundamentalist Revolt Against the Modern Age, San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1989. London: I.B. Tauris, 1990. Paperback reprint from Columbus: University of South Carolina Press, 1995. 306 pp.
Edited papers from the April 1983 conference held at Duke University. International Studies in S... more Edited papers from the April 1983 conference held at Duke University. International Studies in Sociology and Social Anthropology, Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1984. 137 pp.
Mystical and Rational Elements in the Intellectual History of South Asian Islam. Edited papers f... more Mystical and Rational Elements in the Intellectual History of South Asian Islam. Edited papers from May 1975 Quail Roost Symposium. Durham, NC: South Asian Monograph Series, Duke University, #15, 1979. 200 pp. Introduction & Chapter on Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan: His Complex Attitude Toward Sufism
The Extant Literature of pre-Mughal Indian Sufism, London & Tehran: The Imperial Iranian Academy ... more The Extant Literature of pre-Mughal Indian Sufism, London & Tehran: The Imperial Iranian Academy of Philosophy, 1978. 123 pp.
(Foreword by Franz Rosenthal), The Hague: Mouton & Co., 1976. (Religion and Society Series, vol.... more (Foreword by Franz Rosenthal), The Hague: Mouton & Co., 1976. (Religion and Society Series, vol. IV: Jacques Waardenburg, General Editor). 297 pp.
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Papers by Bruce Lawrence
(religion) in our time. I rely on both of them to explore fresh approaches to Islam as both subject and object of violence.
than this, I don't know it, or its subject. I have contributed the final essay to this stunning volume edited by Sumathi Ramaswamy. I ask the question about the multiple layers of M.F. Husain's persona and how they are reflected in his last works, especially The Last Supper in Red Desert, also depicted on the cover for the volume as a whole.
renowned in India but also resident
in Dubai then Doha, M.F. Husain
shared his worldview with the author,
and it is here described with reference
to one of his least well known paintings,
Bilal (2008), which could also be labeled
Bilal as Barack Obama and vice versa.
examines the evidence and controversies about conversion that derive from Persian biographies and British gazetteers concerned with Indo-Muslim saints.
(religion) in our time. I rely on both of them to explore fresh approaches to Islam as both subject and object of violence.
than this, I don't know it, or its subject. I have contributed the final essay to this stunning volume edited by Sumathi Ramaswamy. I ask the question about the multiple layers of M.F. Husain's persona and how they are reflected in his last works, especially The Last Supper in Red Desert, also depicted on the cover for the volume as a whole.
renowned in India but also resident
in Dubai then Doha, M.F. Husain
shared his worldview with the author,
and it is here described with reference
to one of his least well known paintings,
Bilal (2008), which could also be labeled
Bilal as Barack Obama and vice versa.
examines the evidence and controversies about conversion that derive from Persian biographies and British gazetteers concerned with Indo-Muslim saints.