Islamic Revivalism in Recent Western Writings

Abstract

This article revolves atound certain presuppositions, themes, and
thmries related to a selected number of westem writings on Islamic nxurgence
in the m&m Arab world. In this regard, I purport to examine the
following claims: 1) Islamic resurgence is a widespread traditional, cultural,
and political phenomenon in modem Islam; 2) some westem (and
even Muslim) studies of Islamic TesuTgence have touched only the surface
and, therefore, their methodological orientation has been inadequak, 3)
as a facet of modem Islam, Islamic resurgence has reinterpreted the
Islamic tradition in a creative and unique way; and 4) although the major
leaders of the Islamic movement have placed philosophy outside the pale
of Islam, one is tempted to study Islamic resurgence as a philosophical
expression of modem and contemporary Muslim Societies.'
In order to show the theoretical inadequacy of the writings on Islamic
tevivalism, I would like to discuss four Fecently published studies:
Emmanuel Sivan, Radical Islam: Medieval Theology and Modern Politic?
W. Montgomery Watt, Islamic Fundamentalism and Moderniq;
Leanard Binder, Islamic Liberalism: A Critique of Development Ideologied;
and Ronald Nettler, Past Trials and Present Tiibulation.
In Radical Islam, Sivan proposes the following two ideas: First, to
have a better understanding of the thinking of modem Islamic resurgence,
especially that of Sayyid Qutb," one has to study the influence exerted ...