Islam Instrumentalized

Religion and Politics in Historical Perspective
Erscheinungsjahr 2017
ISBN: 978-1-107-15544-2
Verlag: Cambridge University Press

Buch, Englisch, 244 Seiten, Format (B × H): 160 mm x 231 mm, Gewicht: 885 g

Reihe: Cambridge Studies in Economics, Choice, and Society

In this book, economist Jean-Philippe Platteau addresses the question: does Islam, the religion of Muslims, bear some responsibility for a lack of economic development in the countries in which it dominates? In his nuanced approach, Platteau challenges the widespread view that the doctrine of Islam is reactionary in the sense that it defends tradition against modernity and individual freedom. He also questions the view that fusion between religion and politics is characteristic of Islam and predisposes it to theocracy. He disagrees with the substantivist view that Islam is a major obstacle to modern development because of a merging of religion and the state, or a fusion between the spiritual and political domains. But he also identifies how Islam's decentralized organization, in the context of autocratic regimes, may cause political instability and make reforms costly.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Platteau, Jean-Philippe

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1. Introduction; 2. Insights from early modern Europe; 3. Conflation between religion and politics: the case of Islam; 4. The dominant system of politico-religious relations in Islam: a historical perspective; 5. The rise of Islam in conditions of state crisis: the case of weak states; 6. The rise of Islam in conditions of state crisis: the case of kleptocratic despotism; 7. Islamism in historical and international perspective; 8. Revivalist movements in other religions; 9. Enlightened despotism examined; 10. Islam, politics, and the challenge of enforcement; Bibliography; Index.

Über Autor(innen)

Platteau, Jean-Philippe
Jean-Philippe Platteau is Professor of Economics at Université de Namur, Belgium. He has devoted his research career to studying the role of institutions in economic development and the processes of institutional change. He is the co-author of Culture, Institutions, and Development: New Insights into an Old Debate (with Robert Peccoud, 2010), and has contributed to volume two of the Handbook of the Economics of Art and Culture (2013), as well as several articles for the Journal of Development Economics.