Wiktor-Mach Religious Revival and Secularism in Post-Soviet Azerbaijan

1. Auflage 2017
ISBN: 978-3-11-053646-1
Verlag: De Gruyter
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, Band 71, 244 Seiten

Reihe: Religion and Society

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.

Zielgruppe

All those interested in sociology of religion, Islamic studies, a

Autoren/Hrsg.

Wiktor-Mach, Dobroslawa

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;Acknowledgements;7
2;Contents;9
3;List of Tables and Figures;13
4;Note on Transliteration;15
5;Introduction;17
6;Chapter 1. Religion as a Field of Competition;24
7;Chapter 2. Islam in the Caucasus: Historical Contexts of Religious Pluralism;64
8;Chapter 3. Islamic Modernism and Secularism;84
9;Chapter 4. The Lived Islam;98
10;Chapter 5. Religious Revival and the Plurality of Choices;125
11;Chapter 6. Choosing Religion: Strategies and Discourses;153
12;Chapter 7. Religious Competition;188
13;Chapter 8. State control: Heretic-Hunting;214
14;Glossary;227
15;Bibliography;229
16;Index;239

Über Autor(innen)

Dobroslawa Wiktor-Mach, Universität Krakau, Polen.

Dobroslawa Wiktor-Mach, Cracow University of Economics, Poland.