The anthropology of Islam aims to examine the ways in which religious, ethical, and theological teachings are instituted and work within the social world. For example, how these teachings are negotiated by Muslims within networks of social relationships and how these negotiations affect the peculiarities of everyday life and vice versa. In order to provide a better grasp of the relevance of anthropology for the study of Islam, it is prudent to gain first a thorough understanding of the methods and concepts utilized in social and cultural anthropology. This introductory essay outlines the theoretical and disciplinary foundations for the anthropology of Islam by exploring the following questions: What is distinctive about anthropological research? What can anthropology contribute to the study of Islam? How can the reading of anthropological texts enhance the understanding of Islam? How can reading ethnographic accounts help refine the methods of anthropological fieldwork? This conceptual framework allows an outline of this Reader’s design and explains how its contributions are arranged.
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