Cover of Islam: A Short History

Islam: A Short History

by Karen Armstrong · 2000

Modern Library Chronicles series

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No religion in the modern world is as feared and misunderstood as Islam. It haunts the popular imagination as an extreme faith that promotes terrorism, authoritarian government, female oppression, and civil war. In a vital revision of this narrow view of Islam and a distillation of years of thinking and writing about the subject, Karen Armstrong's short history demonstrates that the world's fastest-growing faith is a much more complex phenomenon than its modern fundamentalist strain might suggest.

Subject
historyhistoryMore like thisLess of thisphilosophyphilosophyMore like thisLess of thispoliticspoliticsMore like thisLess of thisreligionreligionMore like thisLess of thiseducationeducationMore like thisLess of this
Genre
historical fictionhistorical fictionMore like thisLess of thismedievalmedievalMore like thisLess of this
Themes
religionreligionMore like thisLess of thisislamislamMore like thisLess of thisspiritualityspiritualityMore like thisLess of thishistoryhistoryMore like thisLess of thisphilosophyphilosophyMore like thisLess of this
Setting
medievalmedievalMore like thisLess of thisMiddle AgesMiddle AgesMore like thisLess of thisIslamic EmpireIslamic EmpireMore like thisLess of thisMiddle EastMiddle EastMore like thisLess of thisIndonesiaIndonesiaMore like thisLess of this
Audience
middle grade
Length
medium · 230 pages

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Liked Islam: A Short History? Here’s where I’d start.

These suit anyone who liked Islam: A Short History. Sign in and mark a few books for picks shaped around your own taste.

  1. No god but God: The Origins, Evolution and Future of Islam Reza Aslan · 2005 Shares religion, nonfiction, islam
  2. After the Prophet: The Epic Story of the Shia-Sunni Split in Islam Lesley Hazleton · 2009 Shares religion, islam, history
  3. Islam: The Straight Path John L. Esposito · 1988 Shares islam, religion, history
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“People who read Islam: A Short History tend to reach for these next.”

  1. In the Footsteps of the Prophet: Lessons from the Life of Muhammad Tariq Ramadan · 2006
  2. The Heart of Islam: Enduring Values for Humanity Seyyed Hossein Nasr · 2002
  3. The Great Theft: Wrestling Islam from the Extremists Khaled Abou El Fadl · 2005
  4. Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources Martin Lings · 1983

“If you want more of the same (history about religion), start with these.”

  1. Islamic Imperialism: A History Efraim Karsh · 2006
  2. Early Islam Desmond Stewart · 1967
  3. Science Civilization in Islam Seyyed Hossein Nasr · 1968
  4. Seeing Islam as Others Saw It: A Survey and Evaluation of Christian, Jewish, and Zoroastrian Writings on Early Islam Robert G. Hoyland · 1998

“If it was the religion that hooked you, try one of these.”

  1. A World Without Islam Graham E. Fuller · 2010
  2. Islam: Past, Present and Future Hans Kung · 2006
  3. Understanding Islam: An Introduction to the Muslim World Thomas W. Lippman · 1982
  4. The Islamic Jesus: How the King of the Jews Became a Prophet of the Muslims Mustafa Akyol

“These start from a similar idea, even if they go somewhere else with it.”

  1. God Is Not a Christian, Nor a Jew, Muslim, Hindu...: God Dwells with Us, in Us, Around Us, as Us Carlton D. Pearson · 2010
  2. Science and Religion: A Very Short Introduction Thomas Dixon · 2008
  3. In defense of religious moderation William Egginton · 2011
  4. The God We Never Knew: Beyond Dogmatic Religion to a More Authentic Contemporary Faith Marcus J. Borg · 1997

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