Somewhere between Islam and Judaism
Critical Reflections
by Aaron W. Hughes
One would think that the space between Islam and Judaism would prove fertile enough to engage in questions of social, religious, cultural, and intellectual interactions. Yet, for a variety of political reasons this is unfortunately rarely the case. In Somewhere Between Islam and Judaism, Hughes reflects on what it means to work in both traditions, but feel at home in neither. The essays collected in this volume provide a set of critical reflections on what it means to study these two religious traditions within the larger context of the academic study of religion. Using case studies that span from the rise of Islam to the current state of Islamic studies and Jewish studies, this work examines the discourses that scholars use to bring Islam and Judaism into what they believe to be sharper focus. In the process, Hughes forces us to confront the countless blindspots, assumptions, and problematic assertions, which structure, frame, and otherwise bring Islamic and Jewish data into focus or, alternatively, obscure it. Somewhere Between Islam and Judaism will be of interest to scholars and students of religion concerned with comparison and those studying Islam, Judaism and Jewish-Muslim relations.
One would think that the space between Islam and Judaism would prove fertile enough to engage in questions of social, religious, cultural, and intellectual interactions. Yet, for a variety of political reasons this is unfortunately rarely the case. In Somewhere Between Islam and Judaism, Hughes reflects on what it means to work in both traditions, but feel at home in neither. The essays collected in this volume provide a set of critical reflections on what it means to study these two religious traditions within the larger context of the academic study of religion. Using case studies that span from the rise of Islam to the current state of Islamic studies and Jewish studies, this work examines the discourses that scholars use to bring Islam and Judaism into what they believe to be sharper focus. In the process, Hughes forces us to confront the countless blindspots, assumptions, and problematic assertions, which structure, frame, and otherwise bring Islamic and Jewish data into focus or, alternatively, obscure it. Somewhere Between Islam and Judaism will be of interest to scholars and students of religion concerned with comparison and those studying Islam, Judaism and Jewish-Muslim relations.
Introduction: Somewhere Between Part One: Disciplinary Overviews Chapter 1: The Current State of Islamic Studies Chapter 2: The Current State of Jewish Studies Part Two: Case Studies Chapter 3: Destabilizing "Judaism" in Late Antiquity Chapter 4: Zindiqs and the Construction of Islamic Orthodoxy Chapter 5: Modern Back-Projections and their Repercussions Part Three: Reboot Chapter 6: The Study of Islam in an Age of Trump Chapter 7: Abrahamic Religions: The Second Generation Chapter 8: The Study of Religion as a National and Nationalist Project
- By (author) Aaron W. Hughes
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