This growth has not been based on academic publishing, however. It also appears that religious studies has not had a very big impact on the study of Islamic religion and culture, which has been dominated by area studies concerns. For Islamic studies in the academy, future development is problematic in terms of its funding. Area studies, despite its theoretical flaws, is an extraordinarily successful method of training people in the languages and histories of particular regions. It is not clear how the different federally funded area studies programs will fare, however, in the changed political climate of the new world order.
Private patronage is perhaps an option, but here too there are potential problems.
Recently immigrant communities have not yet become socialized to the private support of higher education. The comparative dimension is important not only to reveal the existence of differences within and among Islamic societies, but also to explore Islamic themes in relation to other traditions in multiple contexts. The critical approach takes account of the most stringent recent theoretical tests and methodologies, to elevate this study out of the unselfconscious attitudes of 19 th -century positivism that too often characterized Orientalism. With these provisos, I think it will be possible to articulate a way for religious studies to have an impact on the study of Islam. But the problem of explaining religion to the public is a task that needs to be taken up by scholars in all fields.