New book explores the concept of ‘non-muslim Islam’
A new book, edited by Jesper Petersen and Anders Ackfeldt, challenges the conventional understanding of Islam by examining how the religion is shaped and interpreted not only by Muslims, but also by non-Muslims.
The Production and Consumption of Non-Muslim Islams provides empirical evidence that Islam is both produced and consumed by Muslims – but, to a significant extent, also by non-Muslims. This is a phenomenon often overlooked in research. Non-Muslim politicians, journalists, and public commentators regularly contribute to the creation of interpretations of Islam aimed at both Muslim and non-Muslim audiences – and at times even participate in theological debates with Muslims, acting as de facto non-Muslim Islamic authorities.
Through 11 concrete case studies, the book positions “non-Muslim Islam” as an important new field of research and sheds light on the many different forms of knowledge and perspectives that shape its production.
The volume brings together contributions from authors who, from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, investigate “non-Muslim Islam.” In doing so, it expands the empirical scope of Islamic studies and demonstrates that Islam is shaped in many other contexts than those to which research has traditionally directed its attention.
The Editors
Anders Ackfeldt, PhD in History of Religions with a specialisation in Islamic Studies from Lund University, is Deputy Director of the Swedish Research Institute in Istanbul.
Jesper Petersen, PhD in History of Religions with a specialisation in Islamic Studies from Lund University, is Associate Professor at the University of Copenhagen and Principal Investigator of the Non-Muslim Islam research project, funded by Independent Research Fund Denmark.
This volume is published as an open access edition with funding from the Independent Research Fund Denmark. Access the book here.