Dale F. Eickelman is Ralph and Richard Lazarus Professor of Anthropology and Human Relations at Dartmouth College. He is the author of numerous books, including "The Middle East: An Anthropological Approach" and "Knowledge and Power in Morocco" (Princeton). James Piscatori is Professor in Muslim Politics at the Oxford Center for Islamic Studies, University of Oxford. His books include "Islam in a World of Nation-States" and the edited volume "Islamic Fundamentalisms and the Gulf Crisis".

• List of FiguresPreface1What Is Muslim Politics?3Imagining Politics5The Language of Politics11Doctrine and Political Action16Setting Boundaries182The Invention of Tradition in Muslim Politics22The "Modernization" of Muslim Societies22The Blurring of Tradition and Modernity28The Objectification of Muslim Consciousness373Sacred Authority in Contemporary Muslim Societies46The Linkage of Religion and Politics46Authority and the Interpretation of Symbols57Networks of Authority684The "Firmest Tie" and the Ties That Bind: The Politics of Family and Ethnicity80The Politics of Family83Women in the Muslim Political Imagination89Ethnicity995Protest and Bargaining in Muslim Politics108Membership and Organization109The Technologies and Culture of Protest121The Fragmentation of Authority1316Muslim Politics: A Changing Political Geography136Transnational Linkages138The Civic Geography of Muslim Politics155Of Paradigms and Policies162Notes165Glossary175Annotated Bibliography179References183Index219

"Despite the continuing avalanche of books on Islamic politics, there is still a need for a succinct, sane, up-to-date overview of the subject. Here it is... An excellent and much-needed book."--International Affairs "Eickelman and Piscatori use an impressive range of examples from across the world to bring out the richness and diversity of the political experiences of Muslims."--Charles Tripp, Times Literary Supplement "Refreshing and instructive... [This is] an excellent and much-needed book."--Roger Hardy, International Affairs "With ... thoughtful analysis and erudite facts, Eickelman and Piscatori successfully raise the discussion of Muslims and their role in today's world to a higher and more promising level."--Akram Fouad Khater, History "A readable, learned, and timely study... The authors are to be commended for the breadth of their undertaking and the penetrating nature of their analysis."--Lawrence Ziring, Review of Politics "In a period of misguided accounts of the Muslim world, exposure to the Eickelman and Piscatori arguments is highly instructive... It will challenge students, scholars, and policy makers in the field to rethink Islamic politics."--Mahmood Monshipouri, Middle East Policy