This month, I am reading about Islam in contemporary culture. I am a protestant Christian, however I serve as an interfaith chaplain, so I try to be as inclusive, diverse and educated about as many prominent spiritual traditions as I can. During this time, which from September 13- October 12th this year is the holy month of Ramadan, I hope to read and learn as much as I can about Islam and its place in contemporary culture in the western world today.
Here are some of the books I have read recently or will be reading about Islam:
Islam- by Karen Armstrong
No God But God- by Reza Aslan
The Shia Revival- Seyyed Vali Nasr
American Islam: The Struggle for the Soul of a Religion- Paul M. Barrett
Western Muslims and the Future of Islam- Tariq Ramadan
Mecca and Main Street- Geneive Abdo
A Season in Mecca: Narrative of a Pilgrimmage- Abdellah Hammoudi
In the Footsteps of the Prophet- Tariq Ramadan
The Place of Tolerance in Islam- Khaled Abou El Fadl
Infidel- Hirsi Ali Ayaan
I have read all or part of five of these books so far... I will chime in again with some reflections and reviews as I get a bit further along with my reading on this topic.
Peace,
John
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1 comment:
hello John,
i wish you happy reading.
as a muslim i have the following suggestion to offer. i think the first book you should read is the quran (in english translation if you are not familiar with arabic). i am sure you will appreciate that it is the primary text the rest of the books will attempt to explain.
i also find that the authors you choose are all of a 'modern' bent. which is not to say they have nothing valuable to say. but i think you will benefit from reading more traditional accounts which reflect how muslims in traditional societies see their religion. in this regard you may wish to read 'mohammad: from the earliest sources' which is a biography of the prophet by martin lings. (there are two primary sources of religion for muslims the quran, and the prophets actions/speech). i hope by reading these two you will be well on your way to a better understanding.
peace :)
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