The Charismatic Community: Shi'ite Identity in Early Islam (Suny Series in Islam)
The Charismatic Communityexamines the rise and  development of Shiite religious identity in early Islamic history,  analyzing the complex historical and intellectual processes that shaped the  sense of individual and communal religious vocation. The book reveals the  profound and continually evolving connection between the spiritual ideals  of the Shiite movement and the practical processes of community formation.  Author Maria Massi Dakake traces the Quranic origins and early religious  connotations of the concept ofwalayahand the role it played in  shaping the sense of communal solidarity among followers of the first  Shiite Imam, Ali b. Abi Talib. Dakake argues thatwalayahpertains  not only to the charisma of the Shiite leadership and devotion to them, but  also to solidarity and loyalty among the members of the community itself.  She also looks at the ways in which doctrinal developments reflected and  served the practical needs of the Shiite community, the establishment of  identifiable boundaries and minimum requirements of communal membership,  the meaning of women's affiliation and identification with the Shiite  movement, and Shiite efforts to engender a more normative and less  confrontational attitude toward the non-Shiite Muslim community."The author admirably manages to highlight the major developments of early  Shiite events and ideas within the general development of Islamic thought  and history. This book enriches our knowledge and discussion of one of the  most crucial periods of Muslim history." -- Mahmoud M. Ayoub, author ofThe Quran and Its Interpreters, Volume II: The House of Imran--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.