Islamic Leviathan: Islam and the Making of State Power (Religion and Global Politics) [Hardcover]

Seyyed Vali Reza Nasr (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 13, 2001 | ISBN-10: 0195144260 | ISBN-13: 978-0195144260

Islamization is commonly seen as the work of Islamist movements who have forced their ideology on ruling regimes and other hapless social actors. There is little doubt that ruling regimes and disparate social and political actors alike are pushed in the direction of Islamic politics by Islamist forces. However, Islamist activism and its revolutionary and utopian rhetoric only partly explain this trend. Here, Nasr argues that the state itself plays a key role in embedding Islam in the politics of Muslim countries. Focusing on Malaysia and Pakistan, Nasr argues that the turn to Islam is a facet of the state's drive to establish hegemony over society and expand its powers and control.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Islamic Leviathan transcends the usual discussions of political Islam and transforms our understanding of relations between religion and state. Adeptly balancing sophisticated political theory and effective historical analysis in case studies of Malaysia and Pakistan, Nasr has produced a compelling reinterpretation of the centrality of religious politics to state power. This book is essential reading for anyone who wants to move beyond the common cliches to a deeper understanding of contemporary religious politics in the Muslim world and beyond."--John O. Voll, Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University

"With superb analytic ability Nasr establishes mastery over his subject matter in his new book, Islamic Leviathan. In this remarkable social scientific inquiry into the relationship between religion and state formation in secular postcolonial states of Pakistan and Malaysia, he challenges the prevailing assumption by discussing the historical involvement between religion (here, Islam) and the state formation. His thesis throws into doubt the cherished supposition that Islam is against or is incompatible with secularism and modernization. Indeed these states' appropriation of Islamic ideology has enabled them to pursue policies that have enhanced such processes. Seldom has one seen a young scholar so prolific and yet so well informed and thorough."--Shahla Haeri, Department of Anthropology, Boston University

"Nasr explores in depth two particular developments of Islamism, one in Pakistan and one in Malaysia. Both are fascinating studies of how modern states can make varying uses of the exact same religion to achieve political goals."--About.com

About the Author

Seyyed Vali Reza Nasr is at University of San Diego.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 248 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (September 13, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195144260
• ISBN-13: 978-0195144260
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,959,569 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Vali Nasr is Senior Advisor to Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke and Professor of International Politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy of Tufts University. Previously he served as an Adjunct Senior Fellow for Middle East studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is a specialist on Middle East and South Asia politics and political Islam. He is the author of Forces of Fortune: The Rise of a New Muslim Middle Class and What it Means for Our World (2009): The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam Will Shape the Future (2006); Democracy in Iran (2006); and The Vanguard of the Islamic Revolution: The Jama`at-i Islami of Pakistan (1994). and the author of numerous articles in academic journals and encyclopedias. His works have been translated into several languages.

Nasr has briefed the White House and the Congress on Middle East and South Asia issues. He has written for the New York Times, Washington Post, Time, Los Angeles Times, Christian Science Monitor, The New Republic, La Repubblica, Suddeutsche Zeitung, and was profiled on the front page of the Wall Street Journal. His interviews and expert commentary have also been used in newspapers and new programs around the world, including Al-Jazeera, Der Spiegel, CNN, BBC, and 60 Minutes. He has appeared as a guest on The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, The Charlie Rose Show, Meet the Press, Larry King Live, The Colbert Report, and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

He was named a 2006 Carnegie Scholar by the Carnegie Corporation. He has also been the recipient of grants from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation, and the Social Science Research Council. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Nasr was born in 1960 in Tehran. He received his early education in Iran and England, and got his BA from Tufts University in international relations. He earned his MA from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in international economics and Middle East studies in 1984 and his PhD in political science from the Massachusetts Institute for Technology in 1991.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Two Case Studies on Islam and the State, March 10, 2002

By 

Robert D. Steele (Oakton, VA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Islamic Leviathan: Islam and the Making of State Power (Religion and Global Politics) (Hardcover)

This book seems to have been overlooked in the rush to understand Islam in the aftermath of 9-11.

I recommend it because it provides two reasoned case studies on how two different states, Malaysia and Pakistan, used the intensity of Islam to legitimize their governments and states.

In the end, both had to control their fanatics.

Well documented, with good notes and bibliography, this book is the first in a new series from Oxford on Religion and Global Politics. It is a very fine first start, and in the aftermath of 9-11, I would suggest to the editors of the series that they dramatically accelerate their other endeavors--at least three more books are needed on Islam in relation to state politics, in relation to political economy, and in relation to neighborhood or ethnic politics; and several others on the relationship of Judaism and Catholicism and Mormonism to state structures. A special emphasis on religious education and how this affects political perceptions would be helpful.

This is a thoughtful book and one that should be part of the broader reading on Islam and global politics.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Critical Argument, January 23, 2010

By 

John Roemer (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Islamic Leviathan: Islam and the Making of State Power (Religion and Global Politics) (Hardcover)

This is a book about how states in Pakistan and Malaysia decided to become Islamic in order to become more powerful, and then what happened to them, Malaysia did well and Pakistan went in the opposite direction. The author makes important conclusions about the importance of culture and religion to building states where there is weak nationalism and division between ethnicities. It suggests that states can use and abuse religion and are important but often ignored promoters of fundamentalism.

1 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For the part in Malaysia, March 29, 2004

By 

Falling Maple (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Islamic Leviathan: Islam and the Making of State Power (Religion and Global Politics) (Hardcover)

I only read the Malaysia part. He did provide some insights and accurate account to the "Islamization" of Malaysia. But, when he touched on issues about our ex-vice PM and PM, it's somehow superficial in the sense that he's influenced by western media.