Islamic Values in the United States: A Comparative Study [Paperback]

Yvonne Yazbeck Haddad (Author), Adair T. Lummis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 23, 1987 | ISBN-10: 0195041135 | ISBN-13: 978-0195041132

The religion of Islam is now an American phenomenon. Once thought to be primarily a way of life of the Arabs and a faith alien to the Judeo-Christian heritage of this country, it has grown to be one of the most prominent and rapidly-growing religious movements in America. This ethnography of immigrant Muslims considers five Northeastern communities in detail. Including numerous interviews with members of these communities, this investigation provides a highly personal look at what it means to be a believing, practicing Muslim in America at a time when Islam is under the critical scrutiny of international news. The authors describe the institutions and leadership of American Islam, Muslim law, and its applications in the American context, examining the kinds of problems that beset Muslims trying to observe the elements of their faith in a potentially difficult environment. Family life and the roles and relationships of men and women are thoroughly detailed as well.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A very fine, brief study that will help give our students further insight into the remarkable diversity of religious values and practices in America. Its clear presentation and diverse methodology--statistics are well supplemented by interview data--make it an ideal introductory undergraduate text."--Bradford Verter, Princeton University

"I especially like the diverse discussion of Islamic values in the U.S. at a level in which undergraduates can enter, appreciate, and use in their class work. It has expanded my course content and my students' source materials for the study of Islam."--John A. Grim, Bucknell University

"For anyone who wants to understand the concerns, problems, practices, and establishment of Islam in the United States, this book is crucial....Provides a good beginning for understanding the flavor of Islam in this country and the issues that Muslims deal with."--Missions Tomorrow

"Makes for fascinating and at times astonishing reading."--Crescent

"This comprehensive study helps to remind us that America is a land of Christians, Jews, and Muslims....There are copious and important data here on issues and indices of assimilation in a multireligious and multiethnic society: the book is suggestive of hypotheses and useful as a sort of data bank."--Contemporary Sociology

"Much needed....Stands alone in its depth and vigor of analysis and its objective treatment of a very important but hitherto neglected dimension of Islamic studies."--Nadar Entessar, Spring Hill College

"A valuable study of religious developments of very contemporary salience. Packed with information."--R. Stephen Warner, University of Illinois, Chicago

"Very useful....Nobody has ever done this before as far as I know. Very revealing."--B.G. Martin, Indiana University, Bloomington

"Highly recommended for coursework and all persons interested in the effects of immigration and/or modernization on religious beliefs, values, and practices."--Religious Studies Review

About the Author

Yvonne Yazbeck Haddad is at University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Adair T. Lummis is at Hartford Seminary.

Product Details

• Paperback: 196 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (April 23, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195041135
• ISBN-13: 978-0195041132
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,829,501 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended reading for Muslims in the US., June 25, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Islamic Values in the United States: A Comparative Study (Paperback)

I loved this book, and I recommend it to everyone who is a Muslim, living in the United States. Haddad manages to give an overview of the Muslims all over the country, that is un-biased and highly informative at the same time.