“Neither of the East nor of the West” : Crossing and Dwelling in Islamic Studies
Scharbrodt, Oliver LU
(2024)
In Svensk teologisk kvartalskrift
100(3).
p.271-287
- Abstract
What does it mean to do Islamic Studies within Religious Studies? Taking the cue from Thomas A. Tweed's intervention, this article discusses new theoretical and methodological approaches in Religious Studies and their relevance to researching Islam. Such approaches cross geographical, disciplinary, and intellectual boundaries while equally being emplaced in particular socio-cultural contexts that inform their perspectives. In order to overcome statist, normative, and essentialist understandings of Islam, the article explores three key themes: ambiguity, multi-locality, and aesthetics. When we approach the intellectual history of Islam, not only its diversity and plurality become obvious but also its culture of ambiguity, which is at... (More)
What does it mean to do Islamic Studies within Religious Studies? Taking the cue from Thomas A. Tweed's intervention, this article discusses new theoretical and methodological approaches in Religious Studies and their relevance to researching Islam. Such approaches cross geographical, disciplinary, and intellectual boundaries while equally being emplaced in particular socio-cultural contexts that inform their perspectives. In order to overcome statist, normative, and essentialist understandings of Islam, the article explores three key themes: ambiguity, multi-locality, and aesthetics. When we approach the intellectual history of Islam, not only its diversity and plurality become obvious but also its culture of ambiguity, which is at ease with contradictions and inconsistencies. Recent reflections on diaspora religions decentre Islamic Studies from the Middle East and allow for exploring the multiple transnational connections between Muslim minority and majority contexts. Such approaches illustrate the multi-locality of Islam. Finally, the article explores what it means to approach Islam as an aesthetic formation in which rituals as embodied experiences and material sensory culture are central in forging and articulating Muslim individual and collective identities.
(Less)
- author
- Scharbrodt, Oliver
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2024
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Svensk teologisk kvartalskrift
- volume
- 100
- issue
- 3
- pages
- 17 pages
- publisher
- Svensk teologisk kvartalsskrift
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85207877774
- ISSN
- 0039-6761
- DOI
- 10.51619/stk.v100i3.26538
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- Publisher Copyright: © 2024 Svensk teologisk kvartalsskrift. All rights reserved.
- id
- 20aac3ec-9f71-4e66-98a1-aac236097a25
- date added to LUP
- 2024-12-06 15:50:37
- date last changed
- 2025-07-05 09:43:19
@article{20aac3ec-9f71-4e66-98a1-aac236097a25,
abstract = {{<p>What does it mean to do Islamic Studies within Religious Studies? Taking the cue from Thomas A. Tweed's intervention, this article discusses new theoretical and methodological approaches in Religious Studies and their relevance to researching Islam. Such approaches cross geographical, disciplinary, and intellectual boundaries while equally being emplaced in particular socio-cultural contexts that inform their perspectives. In order to overcome statist, normative, and essentialist understandings of Islam, the article explores three key themes: ambiguity, multi-locality, and aesthetics. When we approach the intellectual history of Islam, not only its diversity and plurality become obvious but also its culture of ambiguity, which is at ease with contradictions and inconsistencies. Recent reflections on diaspora religions decentre Islamic Studies from the Middle East and allow for exploring the multiple transnational connections between Muslim minority and majority contexts. Such approaches illustrate the multi-locality of Islam. Finally, the article explores what it means to approach Islam as an aesthetic formation in which rituals as embodied experiences and material sensory culture are central in forging and articulating Muslim individual and collective identities.</p>}},
author = {{Scharbrodt, Oliver}},
issn = {{0039-6761}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{3}},
pages = {{271--287}},
publisher = {{Svensk teologisk kvartalsskrift}},
series = {{Svensk teologisk kvartalskrift}},
title = {{“Neither of the East nor of the West” : Crossing and Dwelling in Islamic Studies}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.51619/stk.v100i3.26538}},
doi = {{10.51619/stk.v100i3.26538}},
volume = {{100}},
year = {{2024}},
}