John L. Esposito

Bio: John L. Esposito is an academic researcher from Georgetown University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Islam & Islamic studies. The author has an hindex of 38, co-authored 100 publications receiving 6767 citations. Previous affiliations of John L. Esposito include University of Nevada, Reno & University of Washington.

Islam and Democracy

Abstract: Religious resurgence and democratization have been two of the most significant developments of the last quarter of the twentieth century. Frequently they work together; other times they are at odds. In the muslim world, this relationship is of special importance because of the strength of the Islamic resurgence, and the intensity of muslim demands for greater popular participation in political processes. Esposito and Voll use six case studies to look at the history of this relationship and the role played by new Islamic movements. At one end of the spectrum, Iran and Sudan represent two cases of militant, revolutionary Islam opposing the political system. In Algeria and Malaysia however, the new movements have been legally recognized and made part of the political process. The authors identify several important factors, such as the legality or illegality of the new Islamic movements and the degree to which they co-operate with existing rulers, as being key to understanding the success or failure of these movements. Still, the case studies prove that despite the commonalities, differing national contexts and identities give rise to differences in agenda and method. This broad spectrum of experience contains important lessons for understanding this complex and subtle relationship, and will also provide insight into the powerful forces of religion and democracy in a broader global context.

The Islamic Threat: Myth or Reality?

Abstract: With the death of communism as a global force, does Islam - embraced by one-fifth of the world's population - now pose the greatest threat to the West? From the Ayatollah Khomeini to Saddam Hussein, the image of Islam as a militant, expansionist, rabidly anti-Western force has gripped the popular imagination. This volume aims to show that these perceptions are rooted in a long history of mutual mistrust and represent an over-simplification. Placing Islam in critical perspective, the book explores both its current resurgence and its troubled relationship with the West. The author offers a systematic assessment of Islamic politics in key nations including Iran, Libya, Lebanon, Egypt and Algeria, focusing in particular on Islamic movements, both moderate and radical. A picture of Islam emerges which is not hostile and monolithic, but diverse and complex. In addition to examining recent historical events such as the Gulf War and the Rushdie affair, this new addition takes account of recent developments in Algeria, and contains a completely revised concluding chapter, "Islam and the West: Conflict or Clash of the Civilizations?".

Islam: The Straight Path

Abstract: INTRODUCTION 1. MUHAMMAD AND THE QURAN: MESSENGER AND MESSAGE Muhammad and the Muslim Community Muhammad and the West The Quran: The Word of God Conclusion 2. THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY IN HISTORY Muhammad and the Medinan State The Caliphate (632-1258) Islam and the West: The Crusades and Muslim Response to Militant Christianity The Sultanate Period: Medieval Muslim Empires Islam in the West 3. RELIGIOUS LIFE: BELIEF AND PRACTICE Theology Islamic Law Popular Religion 4. MODERN ISLAMIC REFORM MOVEMENTS From Imperial Islam to Islamic Revivalism Revivalism in Islam Modern Islamic Movements Conclusion 5. RELIGION & POLITICS The Islamic Resurgence Ideological Worldview of Revivalism A Quiet Revolution Osama Bin Laden and Global Terrorism The Globalization and Hijacking of Jihad Sayyid Qutb: Martyr of Islamic Radicalism The Making of a Terrorist and his Global Jihad Terrorists and Suicide Bombing Conclusion 6. THE STRUGGLE FOR ISLAM IN THE 21ST CENTURY The Struggle in Islam: The Debate The Bifurcation of Society The Ulama and Reform Tradition: Anchor or Albatross? A Spectrum of Reformers and Approaches Cyberspace and High-Tech Islam Critical Areas of Islamic Reform The Challenge of Religious Pluralism Global Multifaith and Intercivilizational Initiatives The Challenge of Pluralism for Western Secular Democracies Conclusion

The Islamic Threat. Myth or Reality

Abstract: With the death of communism as a global force, does Islam - embraced by one-fifth of the world's population - now pose the greatest threat to the West? From the Ayatollah Khomeini to Saddam Hussein, the image of Islam as a militant, expansionist, rabidly anti-Western force has gripped the popular imagination. This volume aims to show that these perceptions are rooted in a long history of mutual mistrust and represent an over-simplification. Placing Islam in critical perspective, the book explores both its current resurgence and its troubled relationship with the West. The author offers a systematic assessment of Islamic politics in key nations including Iran, Libya, Lebanon, Egypt and Algeria, focusing in particular on Islamic movements, both moderate and radical. A picture of Islam emerges which is not hostile and monolithic, but diverse and complex. In addition to examining recent historical events such as the Gulf War and the Rushdie affair, this new addition takes account of recent developments in Algeria, and contains a completely revised concluding chapter, \"Islam and the West: Conflict or Clash of the Civilizations?\".

Who Speaks for Islam?: What a Billion Muslims Really Think

Abstract: The religion of Islam and the mainstream Muslim majority have been conflated with the beliefs and actions of an extremist minority. The result was reflected in a USA Today/Gallup Poll which found substantial minorities of Americans admitting to negative feelings or prejudice against Muslims.The vital missing piece among the many voices weighing in on this question is the actual views of Muslim publics.Who Speaks for Islam? is about this silenced majority. It is the product of a mammoth research study undertaken over six years by the Gallup Organization. Gallup conducted tens of thousands of hour-long face to face interviews with residents of more than 35 predominantly Muslim nations. In totality we surveyed a sample representing over 90% of the world's 1.3 billion Muslims, making this the largest, most comprehensive study of contemporary Muslims ever done.

Modernization, Cultural Change, and Democracy: The Human Development Sequence

Abstract: This book demonstrates that people's basic values and beliefs are changing, in ways that affect their political, sexual, economic, and religious behaviour. These changes are roughly predictable: to a large extent, they can be interpreted on the basis of a revised version of modernisation theory presented here. Drawing on a massive body of evidence from societies containing 85 percent of the world's population, the authors demonstrate that modernisation is a process of human development, in which economic development gives rise to cultural changes that make individual autonomy, gender equality, and democracy increasingly likely. The authors present a model of social change that predicts how the value systems play a crucial role in the emergence and flourishing of democratic institutions - and that modernisation brings coherent cultural changes that are conducive to democratisation.

Sacred and Secular: Religion and Politics Worldwide

Abstract: Part I. Understanding Secularization: 1. The secularization debate 2. Measuring secularization 3. Comparing secularization worldwide Part II. Case Studies of Religion and Politics: 4. The puzzle of secularization in the United States and Western Europe 5. A religious revival in post-communist Europe? 6. Religion and politics in the Muslim world Part III. The Consequences of Secularization: 7. Religion, the Protestant ethic, and moral values 8. Religious organizations and social capital 9. Religious parties and electoral behavior Part IV. Conclusions: 10. Secularization and its consequences 11. Re-examining the theory of existential security 12. Re-examining evidence for the security thesis.

Toward A Unified Conception Of Business Ethics: Integrative Social Contracts Theory

Abstract: “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?” Alice asked the Cheshire Cat. “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat. “I don't much care where...” said Alice. “Then it doesn't matter which way you go,” said the Cat. (Carroll, 1983: 72)

The psychology of globalization.

Abstract: The influence of globalization on psychological functioning is examined. First, descriptions of how globalization is occurring in various world regions are presented. Then the psychological consequences of globalization are described, with a focus on identity issues. Specifically, it is argued that most people worldwide now develop a bicultural identity that combines their local identity with an identity linked to the global culture; that identity confusion may be increasing among young people in non-Western cultures as a result of globalization; that some people join self-selected cultures to maintain an identity that is separate from the global culture; and that a period of emerging adulthood increasingly extends identity explorations beyond adolescence, through the mid- to late twenties.