Choice Review

This comprehensive work surveys major issues and themes in the study of Islam in Southeast Asia. It brings together, in one volume, a unique scholarly compendium about Islam in this region as well as a rich and wide array of bibliographic and primary sources. The editors (both, Australian National Univ.) have enlisted the help of an impressive team of scholars to produce this sourcebook exploring Islam and its interplay with the region's politics, culture, and global issues. The work is organized in two parts. The first contains a compendium of country overviews that analyze the historical origin, place, and impact of Islam on questions of social, political, and intellectual modernity. The second offers six thematic chapters using translated extracts from primary sources to assess different facets of Islam in Southeast Asia. The themes range from personal expression of faith to Sharia (Islamic jurisprudence), and to governance, gender, and jihad. Also tucked into the second part are a series of very informative illustrations. Additionally, this work includes an Islamic time line covering major events from the beginning of Islam to 2005, and offers a rich and helpful glossary. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-level undergraduates, and especially graduate students. Upper-division Undergraduates; Graduate Students. Reviewed by H. BenAicha.