The Makings of Indonesian Islam

Orientalism and the Narration of a Sufi Past

Nonfiction, History, Asian, Asia, Religion & Spirituality, Middle East Religions, Islam
Cover of the book The Makings of Indonesian Islam by Michael Laffan, Princeton University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Michael Laffan ISBN: 9781400839995
Publisher: Princeton University Press Publication: August 8, 2011
Imprint: Princeton University Press Language: English
Author: Michael Laffan
ISBN: 9781400839995
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Publication: August 8, 2011
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Language: English

Indonesian Islam is often portrayed as being intrinsically moderate by virtue of the role that mystical Sufism played in shaping its traditions. According to Western observers--from Dutch colonial administrators and orientalist scholars to modern anthropologists such as the late Clifford Geertz--Indonesia's peaceful interpretation of Islam has been perpetually under threat from outside by more violent, intolerant Islamic traditions that were originally imposed by conquering Arab armies.

The Makings of Indonesian Islam challenges this widely accepted narrative, offering a more balanced assessment of the intellectual and cultural history of the most populous Muslim nation on Earth. Michael Laffan traces how the popular image of Indonesian Islam was shaped by encounters between colonial Dutch scholars and reformist Islamic thinkers. He shows how Dutch religious preoccupations sometimes echoed Muslim concerns about the relationship between faith and the state, and how Dutch-Islamic discourse throughout the long centuries of European colonialism helped give rise to Indonesia's distinctive national and religious culture.

The Makings of Indonesian Islam presents Islamic and colonial history as an integrated whole, revealing the ways our understanding of Indonesian Islam, both past and present, came to be.

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

Indonesian Islam is often portrayed as being intrinsically moderate by virtue of the role that mystical Sufism played in shaping its traditions. According to Western observers--from Dutch colonial administrators and orientalist scholars to modern anthropologists such as the late Clifford Geertz--Indonesia's peaceful interpretation of Islam has been perpetually under threat from outside by more violent, intolerant Islamic traditions that were originally imposed by conquering Arab armies.

The Makings of Indonesian Islam challenges this widely accepted narrative, offering a more balanced assessment of the intellectual and cultural history of the most populous Muslim nation on Earth. Michael Laffan traces how the popular image of Indonesian Islam was shaped by encounters between colonial Dutch scholars and reformist Islamic thinkers. He shows how Dutch religious preoccupations sometimes echoed Muslim concerns about the relationship between faith and the state, and how Dutch-Islamic discourse throughout the long centuries of European colonialism helped give rise to Indonesia's distinctive national and religious culture.

The Makings of Indonesian Islam presents Islamic and colonial history as an integrated whole, revealing the ways our understanding of Indonesian Islam, both past and present, came to be.

More books from Princeton University Press

Cover of the book The Logician and the Engineer by Michael Laffan
Cover of the book Designing San Francisco by Michael Laffan
Cover of the book Lawyers and Fidelity to Law by Michael Laffan
Cover of the book Chases and Escapes by Michael Laffan
Cover of the book Small Unmanned Aircraft by Michael Laffan
Cover of the book Does God Belong in Public Schools? by Michael Laffan
Cover of the book Connections by Michael Laffan
Cover of the book Aftermath by Michael Laffan
Cover of the book The Complexity of Cooperation by Michael Laffan
Cover of the book The Physics of Neutrinos by Michael Laffan
Cover of the book Collected Works of C.G. Jung, Volume 18 by Michael Laffan
Cover of the book Our Underachieving Colleges by Michael Laffan
Cover of the book Flyover Country by Michael Laffan
Cover of the book Righteous Transgressions by Michael Laffan
Cover of the book Blessed Are the Organized by Michael Laffan
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