Our Elusive Constitution

Said Amir Arjomand is Professor of Sociology at State University of New York at Stony Brook. He is the author of a number of books, including Authority and Culture in Shi'ism, published by SUNY Press, and the editor of the SUNY Press Series in Near Eastern Studies.

"The only other book that deals with Jewish, Christian, and Muslim fundamentalism is the book by Bruce Lawrence. It does not have the range of Arjomand's book." — Hamid Algar, University of California, Berkeley"In this book, Said Amir Arjomand has brought together a number of brilliant essays, each addressing a particular aspect of that beguiling force of attraction that relentlessly keeps religion and politics in close proximity—in a wavering space where the sacred and the violent vie for power with implacable ferocity." — Hamid Dabashi, Columbia University

• Preface Introduction Part I. Law and Politics—What, Where, and How? 1. The Myth of the Political Question 2. Representation and Constitutional Politics Part II. The Many (Against Nationalism) 3. Peoplehood and Nationalism 4. The Myth of Presidential Prerogative 5. Compelling Governmental Interests Part III. The One (Against Positivism) 6. Personhood and Rights 7. What Makes a Right Fundamental 8. Rights We Need Today Afterword Notes Bibliography Index