A new and updated version of the classic Der Islam in der Gegenwart, now in its fifth edition, this first English-language translation gives non-German speakers access to one of the most authoritative works on Islam in the modern world. Editors Ende and Steinbach are distinguished professors of Islamic and Middle Eastern studies in Germany, and the 40-plus contributors come from equally distinguished academic backgrounds. The volume is divided into three parts; the first is a historical overview of the Islamic world from its beginnings in the seventh century to the present, including a description of the different sects and movements of Islam and their influence in the world today. The second, and most extensive, section discusses the political role of Islam in the modern world, Islamic economics, social systems, and law. Each of 24 essays covers a Muslim country, or a country with a significant Muslim population, in depth; communities in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, North America, and Europe are included. The final section describes Islamic culture and civilization, including art, literature, and architecture, and their intersection with the West. Multiple indexes aid the reader in finding topics, and a massive bibliography is included. The volume has few pictures and is very text dense, but the language is engaging and the translation is excellent. An impressive reference at a bargain price; essential for all public and academic libraries.
Library Journal
This book is the most comprehensive work on contemporary Islam available worldwide, replacing almost an entire Islamic library. Being the translation into English of a German handbook, its original had already seen five editions by 2005—remarkable because German Orientalists had usually focused on historical and philological aspects of Islam. The volume takes account not only of religious/theological developments in the Islamic world but even more strongly of social, social, economic, and political events there.
Murad Wilfried Hofmann
The Muslim World Book Review