Interpreting Islam in China: Pilgrimage, Scripture, and Language in the Han Kitab
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Description
Interpreting Islam in China explores the Sino-Islamic intellectual tradition through the works of some its brightest luminaries. Three prominent Sino-Muslim authors are used to illustrate transformations within this tradition, Wang Daiyu, Liu Zhi, and Ma Dexin. Kristian Petersen puts these scholars in dialogue and demonstrates the continuities and departures within this tradition. Through an analysis of their writings, he considers several questions: How malleable are religious categories and why are they variously interpreted across time? How do changing historical circumstances affect the interpretation of religious beliefs and practices? How do individuals navigate multiple sources of authority? How do practices inform belief? Overall, he shows that these authors presented an increasingly universalistic portrait of Islam through which Sino-Muslims were encouraged to participate within the global community of Muslims. The growing emphasis on performing the pilgrimage to Mecca, comprehensive knowledge of the Qur'an, and personal knowledge of Arabic stimulated communal engagement. Petersen demonstrates that the integration of Sino-Muslims within a growing global environment, where international travel and communication was increasingly possible, was accompanied by the rising self-awareness of a universally engaged Muslim community. [Amazon.com]
ISBN
0190634340
Publication Date
10-2017
Publisher
Oxford University Press
City
New York, NY
Disciplines
Asian History | Islamic Studies
Recommended Citation
Petersen, Kristian, "Interpreting Islam in China: Pilgrimage, Scripture, and Language in the Han Kitab" (2017). Philosophy Faculty Books. 21.
https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/philosophy_fac_books/21