Hide search box
Advanced search
(incl. VAT) Net price: PLN
Purchase form
To cart

Religious Revival and Secularism in Post-Soviet Azerbaijan

n.a.

Authors: Dobroslawa Wiktor-Mach Publisher: De Gruyter Publication date: 2017 Publication language: Angielski Number of pages: 244 Publication formats: EAN: 9783110536461 ISBN: 9783110536461 Category: Regional studies Middle Eastern history Islam Publisher's index: - Bibliographic note: -

Description

The book explores the complex world of Islam from the perspective of its adherents and activists in Azerbaijan. Baku, the most secular Muslim capital city, is a battlefield for the minds and souls of „ethnic Muslims.” Visiting pirs was till now the typical expression of religiosity among Azerbaijani Muslims. Sunni-Shia division was blurred. Nowadays, Shia and Sunni Muslim movements propose new distinctive identities. Foreign and local preachers took advantage of liberal religious policies of the 1990s to promote their ideas. Salafis stress the „pristine” Islam and the idea of universalism, while Shias underline rationality in their faith tradition. Turkish model of Islam is more inclusive towards local customs. Sufism, although not as powerful as before, also finds a committed audience. Finally, independent charismatic local leaders gain supporters. The book investigates how this pluralism affects both religious groups and believers. Competitive environment requires effective strategies and flexibility. In this process, the traditional dominance of Shiism is challenged by Sunni movements. Shiism, however, is not giving up and adapts its concepts and practices to contemporary contexts.

TOC

  • Acknowledgements 8
  • Contents 10
  • List of Tables and Figures 14
  • Note on Transliteration 16
  • Introduction 18
  • Chapter 1. Religion as a Field of Competition 25
  • Chapter 2. Islam in the Caucasus: Historical Contexts of Religious Pluralism 65
  • Chapter 3. Islamic Modernism and Secularism 85
  • Chapter 4. The Lived Islam 99
  • Chapter 5. Religious Revival and the Plurality of Choices 126
  • Chapter 6. Choosing Religion: Strategies and Discourses 154
  • Chapter 7. Religious Competition 189
  • Chapter 8. State control: Heretic-Hunting 215
  • Glossary 228
  • Bibliography 230
Show more