Islam: The Straight Path

The Gulf War, the World Trade Center bombing, conflicts in Afghanistan, Algeria, and Bosnia--these crises have dominated the headlines and global politics. Yet few of us know anything about Islam, a religion with one billion followers worldwide. Now John L. Esposito offers a timely new edition of Islam: The Straight Path, his widely acclaimed guide to Islamic history, faith, culture, and politics. Esposito provides a succinct, up-to-date survey of the Islamic experience, an introduction to the faith, belief, and practice of Islam from its origins to the present. He traces the emergence of this dynamic faith and its impact on world history and he discusses the formation of Islamic belief and practice in such areas as law, theology, philosophy, and mysticism. Equally important, Esposito provides much needed information on contemporary Islam. This third edition has been updated throughout and is enhanced by new material that more accurately reflects the true diversity of Muslim cultures. In particular, Esposito broadens the study of Islam beyond the Middle East with a new study of Pakistan as well as a new section on the Muslim presence in the US and the impact of such figures as Malcolm X, Warith uddin Muhammad, and Louis Farrakhan. In the final chapter, Esposito discusses modern Muslim thinking on religious pluralism, democracy, and human rights. With years of teaching and travel in the Islamic world, Esposito offers an informed portrait of Muslim faith and thought. Lucidly written and expansive in scope, this new edition of a volume highly respected in the Islamic world provides keen insights into the world's second largest religion.