A New Introduction to Islam, 2nd ed. By Daniel W. Brown (West Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. pbk. 339 pages)

Abstract

A New Introduction to Islam is an excellent undergraduate textbook presenting
a thorough history of Islam. It introduces students to the history
and development of Islamic studies as a discipline—showing how Islamic
studies has shaped our understanding of Islam—and it also examines
how the vibrant religious culture of the Near East produced a unique and
brilliant intellectual and religious tradition spanning the fields of Islamic
law, theology, philosophy, and mysticism. In addition, it shows the ways
in which the Islamic tradition has enriched the world, and in turn, how it
has been enriched by interaction with other civilizations. And against the
background of social and cultural contexts that extend from North Africa
to South and Southeast Asia, it also considers the opportunities and challenges
facing Muslims today and provides a new and illuminating perspective
of the development of Muslim beliefs and practices ...