Contemporary Islam

Dynamic, Not Static

Contemporary Islam provides a counterweight to the prevailing opinions of Islamic thought as conservative and static with a preference for violence over dialogue. It gathers together a collection of eminent scholars from around the world who tackle issues such as intellectual pluralism, gender, the ethics of political participation, human rights, non-violence and religious harmony. This is a highly topical and important study which gives a progressive outlook for Islam's role in modern politics and society.

However, thousands of items are listed when “violence and Islam” are the search
words.5 Scholarly interest in researching Islamic theories of peacebuilding also
stems from the recent significant expansions in the study of religion and peace.
Scholars and practitioners in peace studies and conflict resolution have begun
exploring the role of religion in shaping the theory and practice of their field.6
This new wave of research aims to shift the focus away from religion as the cause
of war ...