Islam as a religion is central to the lives of over a billion people; but its outer expression as a distinctive civilization has been undergoing a monumental crisis. Buffeted by powerful adverse currents; Islamic civilization today is a shadow of its former self. The most disturbing and possibly fatal of these currents—the imperial expansion of the West into Muslim lands and the blast of modernity that accompanied it—are now compounded by a third giant wave; globalization.These forces have increasingly tested Islam and Islamic civilization for validity; adaptability; and the ability to hold on to the loyalty of Muslims; says Ali A. Allawi in his provocative new book. While the faith has proved resilient in the face of these challenges; other aspects of Islamic civilization have atrophied or died; Allawi contends; and Islamic civilization is now undergoing its last crisis.The book explores how Islamic civilization began to unravel under colonial rule; as its institutions; laws; and economies were often replaced by inadequate modern equivalents. Allawi also examines the backlash expressed through the increasing religiosity of Muslim societies and the spectacular rise of political Islam and its terrorist offshoots. Assessing the status of each of the building blocks of Islamic civilization; the author concludes that Islamic civilization cannot survive without the vital spirituality that underpinned it in the past. He identifies a key set of principles for moving forward; principles that will surprise some and anger others; yet clearly must be considered.
#407013 in Books 2009-10Ingredients: Example IngredientsFormat: EveryBookOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.90 x .90 x 6.90l; 2.40 #File Name: 0300142145416 pages
Review
44 of 44 people found the following review helpful. The book many of us have been waiting forBy Dennis WatersIn The Arts of Intimacy; Dodds; Menocal; and Balbale document and analyze the collision/fusion of Muslim; Christian (indigenous Mozarabic and Roman); and Jewish cultures in the architecture; literature; decorative arts; and linguistics of medieval Spain. They focus on Toledo; which; as a city on the border between the Christian and Muslim worlds; was a microcosm of the evolution taking place all over the peninsula.This is a terrific book; beautiful to look at (almost but not quite a coffee-table book); well-organized; nicely-written; and full of wondrous detail and provocative thinking. For those interested in learning more about this subject; the 57-page annotated bibliography "Sources and Readings" is alone worth the price of the book.If you are one of those who thought Menocal's The Ornament of the World presented a simplistic; utopian view of the period; this book is the antidote. The detail is lavish in support of the theses and there is no attempt to gloss over the many ugly lapses of La Convivencia.If anything; The Arts of Intimacy argues against any simplistic or reductionist approach to the development of Iberian culture. Esthetic influences were as fluid and multidimensional as political alliances; and in many cases religion turns out to be the least useful tool of explanation.Get the book. Look at the photographs. Read the poems. Absorb and reflect on the hundreds of examples of cross-cultural influence. I promise you a worthwhile journey.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Gorgeous and scholarlyBy Dr. MomThis is a simply gorgeous; beautifully illustrated and poetically written book about a very special time and place. I got this as a treat for myself; and as a model of a good approach to this material for a PhD student in my department. If you love the art of Al-Andalus; this books belongs on your shelf.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A RevelationBy william LangenThis is a wonderful book that serves both as a wonderful introduction to Al Andaluz; a place and a time that gives one much needed hope that diversity can be a powerful creative force. At the same time the book is solidly researched. One finds gem after gem rescued from obscurity: beautiful poetry; architecture and crafts woven into fascinating stories and historical background.
