Max Weber and Islam
“By properly contextualizing and relating structural, ideological, and social psychological dimensions, Schluchter offers a rather convincing interpretation of Weber’s view of Islam. The strength of Schluchter’s analysis lies in the internal systemization of Weber’s texts. . . . [These] essays are worth reading.”—Martin Riesebrodt,Contemporary Sociology“Although Weber is best known for his work on the role of Protestantism in the development of capitalism, he also did important studies on comparative sociology of religion... The centerpiece essay by Wolfgang Schluchter (sociology, Univ. of Erfurt, Germany) expertly recreates the sources of Weber's understanding of Islam and puts his scattered comments into a coherent whole. Ten other essays alternately apply Weberian categories to a specific aspect of the Islamic world or evaluate a statement of Weber's about Islam... Excellent summaries of both Weber's theories and Islam appear throughout.”—G. J. Miller,Choice“This book is a collection of essays first published in German in 1987 and usefully updated with an extensive new introduction by Toby Huff…. The essays by Huff, Schluchter, and Crone focus on Weber’s sociology and the place of Islam in it. The other essays are substantive contributions to the study of Islamic history and societies from a Weberian perspective.”—Saïd Amir Arjomand,American Journal of Sociology