A Convergence of Civilizations

The Transformation of Muslim Societies Around the World

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Demography, Religion & Spirituality, Middle East Religions, Islam, History
Cover of the book A Convergence of Civilizations by Youssef Courbage, Emmanuel Todd, Columbia University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Youssef Courbage, Emmanuel Todd ISBN: 9780231527460
Publisher: Columbia University Press Publication: June 7, 2011
Imprint: Columbia University Press Language: English
Author: Youssef Courbage, Emmanuel Todd
ISBN: 9780231527460
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Publication: June 7, 2011
Imprint: Columbia University Press
Language: English

We are told that Western/Christian and Muslim/Arab civilizations are heading towards inevitable conflict. The demographics of the West remain sluggish, while the population of the Muslim world explodes, widening the cultural gap and all but guaranteeing the outbreak of war. Leaving aside the media's sound and fury on this issue, measured analysis shows another reality taking shape: rapprochement between these two civilizations, benefiting from a universal movement with roots in the Enlightenment.

The historical and geographical sweep of this book discredits the notion of a specific Islamic demography. The range of fertility among Muslim women, for example, is as varied as religious behavior among Muslims in general. Whether agnostics, fundamentalist Salafis, or al-Qaeda activists, Muslims are a diverse group that prove the variety and individuality of Islam. Youssef Courbage and Emmanuel Todd consider different degrees of literacy, patriarchy, and defensive reactions among minority Muslim populations, underscoring the spread of massive secularization throughout the Arab and Muslim world.

In this regard, they argue, there is very little to distinguish the evolution of Islam from the history of Christianity, especially with Muslims now entering a global modernity. Sensitive to demographic variables and their reflection of personal and social truths, Courbage and Todd upend a dangerous meme: that we live in a fractured world close to crisis, struggling with an epidemic of closed cultures and minds made different by religion.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

We are told that Western/Christian and Muslim/Arab civilizations are heading towards inevitable conflict. The demographics of the West remain sluggish, while the population of the Muslim world explodes, widening the cultural gap and all but guaranteeing the outbreak of war. Leaving aside the media's sound and fury on this issue, measured analysis shows another reality taking shape: rapprochement between these two civilizations, benefiting from a universal movement with roots in the Enlightenment.

The historical and geographical sweep of this book discredits the notion of a specific Islamic demography. The range of fertility among Muslim women, for example, is as varied as religious behavior among Muslims in general. Whether agnostics, fundamentalist Salafis, or al-Qaeda activists, Muslims are a diverse group that prove the variety and individuality of Islam. Youssef Courbage and Emmanuel Todd consider different degrees of literacy, patriarchy, and defensive reactions among minority Muslim populations, underscoring the spread of massive secularization throughout the Arab and Muslim world.

In this regard, they argue, there is very little to distinguish the evolution of Islam from the history of Christianity, especially with Muslims now entering a global modernity. Sensitive to demographic variables and their reflection of personal and social truths, Courbage and Todd upend a dangerous meme: that we live in a fractured world close to crisis, struggling with an epidemic of closed cultures and minds made different by religion.

More books from Columbia University Press

Cover of the book Hunters, Herders, and Hamburgers by Youssef Courbage, Emmanuel Todd
Cover of the book Political Responsibility by Youssef Courbage, Emmanuel Todd
Cover of the book Animalia Americana by Youssef Courbage, Emmanuel Todd
Cover of the book A Brief History of Entrepreneurship by Youssef Courbage, Emmanuel Todd
Cover of the book Racial Disproportionality in Child Welfare by Youssef Courbage, Emmanuel Todd
Cover of the book Ingmar Bergman's Face to Face by Youssef Courbage, Emmanuel Todd
Cover of the book Ethnic Americans by Youssef Courbage, Emmanuel Todd
Cover of the book Psychoanalysis and the Human Sciences by Youssef Courbage, Emmanuel Todd
Cover of the book Fantasies of the New Class by Youssef Courbage, Emmanuel Todd
Cover of the book Of Women Borne by Youssef Courbage, Emmanuel Todd
Cover of the book Film Dialogue by Youssef Courbage, Emmanuel Todd
Cover of the book Social Value Investing by Youssef Courbage, Emmanuel Todd
Cover of the book Short Selling by Youssef Courbage, Emmanuel Todd
Cover of the book From Student to Scholar by Youssef Courbage, Emmanuel Todd
Cover of the book Kosher USA by Youssef Courbage, Emmanuel Todd
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy