Books > Reference & Interdisciplinary > Interdisciplinary studies > Area / regional studies
|
Buy Now
Popular Preaching and Religious Authority in the Medieval Islamic Near East (Hardcover, New)
Loot Price: R1,229
Discovery Miles 12 290
|
|
Popular Preaching and Religious Authority in the Medieval Islamic Near East (Hardcover, New)
Series: Publications on the Near East
Expected to ship within 12 - 17 working days
|
Islamic popular preachers and storytellers had enormous influence
in defining common religious knowledge and faith in the medieval
Near East. Jonathan Berkey's book illuminates the popular culture
of religious storytelling. It draws on chronicles, biographical
dictionaries, sermons, and tales - but especially on a number of
medieval treatises critical of popular preachers, and also a
vigorous defense of them which emerged in fourteenth-century
Egyptian Sufi circles. Popular preachers drew inspiration and
legitimacy from the rise of Sufi mysticism, with its emphasis on
internal spiritual activity and direct enlightenment, enabling them
to challenge or reinforce social and political hierarchies as they
entertained the masses with tales of moral edification. As these
charismatic figures developed a popular following, they often
aroused the wrath of scholars and elites, who resented innovative
interpretations of Islam that undermined orthodox religious
authority and blurred social and gender barriers. Critics of
popular preachers and storytellers worried that they would corrupt
their audiences' understanding of Islam. Their defenders argued
that preachers and storytellers could contribute to the consensus
of the Islamic community as to what constituted acceptable
religious knowledge. In the end, religious knowledge, and the
definition of Islam as it was commonly understood, remained porous
and flexible throughout the Middle Period, thanks in part to the
activities of popular preachers and storytellers.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
|
You might also like..
|
Email address subscribed successfully.
A activation email has been sent to you.
Please click the link in that email to activate your subscription.