Susanne Olsson – författare

Islam – en religionsvetenskaplig introduktion beskriver islam och muslimsk kultur i all sin mångfald. Här ges en rik historisk bakgrund till islams uppkomst och framväxt liksom en inblick i nutida islam-tolkningar och praktiker. Likheter och skillnader mellan sunnitiska och shiitiska traditioner uppmärksammas genom hela boken. Boken kan användas som litteratur på universitet och högskolor, men riktar sig även till en intresserad allmänhet.

Bokens första del behandlar Muhammads liv och islams grundläggande skrifter. Här tas också islamisk lag, teologi, filosofi, rituellt liv och sufism upp.

Den andra delen rör sig genom den senare medeltiden och den tidigmoderna perioden och gör nedslag i en rad olika regioner och traditioner; från Sydostasien till Sydafrika och Spanien, från osmaner till mongoler och safavider.

Bokens tredje del tar oss in i vår egen samtid, med initierade kapitel om islam och modernism, salafism och islamism, och om islam i Europa och Förenta staterna.

I den andra upplagan (2021) inkluderas tre nya kapitel om islamisk filosofi, salafism och om islam i Sydasien.

Sagt om boken[...] Även om vissa påståenden från enskilda författare i boken absolut kan ifrågasättas är det här arbetet på det hela taget en väl upplagd och pedagogiskt framställd exposé över samlingsbegreppet "islam", som säkert kommer att provocera fram nyttiga diskussioner vid seminarierna. Det är en lättläst och användbar lärobok/grundbok för universitetsstudenter eller intresserad allmänhet." Torkel Lindquist, lektör, BTJ-häftet nr 21, 2015.

"Begrepp och riktningar sätts i ett förklarande sammanhang, boken väjer inte för potentiellt laddade frågor. En och annan västerländsk romantiserande myt om till exempel al-Andalus och sufismen punkteras också. Läsaren får en inblick i samtida skeenden i olika delar av den muslimska världen och om islam i Europa och U.S.A. Det som dock saknas är ett kapitel om islam i Sverige i denna svenska antologi. Boken är utmärkt läsning för studenter, journalister, präster och en intresserad allmänhet och borde också läsas av politiker och samhällsdebattörer från alla läger." Malin Norrby, Katolskt magasin 2015-12-15.

Om författarnaFörfattarna är alla ledande svenska forskare inom ämnet. Redaktörer är Susanne Olsson, professor i religionshistoria vid Stockholms universitet, och Simon Sorgenfrei, docent i religionsvetenskap vid Södertörns högskola.

I denna introduktion till religionshistoriens teori och metod beskrivs ämnets innehåll, karaktär och gränser: Vad är religionshistoria, vilka frågor ställer en religionshistoriker och hur skiljer ämnet sig från andra närliggande ämnen? I den första delen introduceras olika sätt att studera och synliggöra religion. Här presenteras jämförande, historiska, etnografiska, sociologiska, kognitionsvetenskapliga, genusvetenskapliga, postkoloniala, politiska och didaktiska perspektiv på religion. I bokens andra del behandlas centrala religionshistoriska begrepp och hur de kan användas i vetenskapliga sammanhang. Här ges pedagogiska beskrivningar av magi, gudar, myt, rit, symbol, asketism och sekularisering. Boken är avsedd för studenter på grundnivå i religionshistoria, men är även användbar i andra ämnen där studiet av religion utgör en viktig del. Den kan läsas av studenter och andra intresserade utan närmare förkunskaper, men också utgöra ett referensverk för de studenter som kommit längre i sina studier.

På några decennier har Sverige gått från att vara etniskt och religiöst relativt homogent till att bli ett av Europas mest mångreligiösa länder. Religion, migration och polisiärt arbete beskriver några av de utmaningar och möjligheter polisen kan ställas inför i ett pluralistiskt samhälle. I boken varvas teoretiska perspektiv med konkreta exempel på polisiärt arbete relaterat till religion och migration. Bokens kapitel är skrivna av forskare och praktiker verksamma inom olika områden, och behandlar en lång rad ämnen: religions­frihetslagstiftning, segregation, hatbrott, globala konflikter med lokala konsekvenser, klanstrukturer, hedersvåld, våldsbejakande extremism, bemötandestrategier, arbete med fördomar inom poliskåren samt utmaningar som konspirationsteorier och miljö­relaterade hot som kan beröra polisens arbete.Denna andra upplaga av Religion, migration och polisiärt arbete är reviderad och aktualiserad och innehåller fyra nyskrivna kapitel.

According to many Islamic jurists, the world is divided between dar al-Islam (the abode of Islam) and dar al-harb (the abode of war). This dual division of the world has led to a great amount of juridical discussion concerning what makes a territory part of dar al-Islam, what the status of Muslims living outside of this is, and whether they are obliged to obey Islamic jurisprudence. Susanne Olsson examines the differing understandings of dar al-Islam and dar al-harb, as well as related concepts, such as jihad and takfir. She thereby is able to explore how these concepts have been utilised, transformed and negotiated throughout history. As the subject of Muslims living in Europe is such a topical and sometimes controversial one, this book will appeal to researchers of modern Islam as integral to the Western experience.

According to many Islamic jurists, the world is divided between dar al-Islam (the abode of Islam) and dar al-harb (the abode of war). This dual division of the world has led to a great amount of juridical discussion concerning what makes a territory part of dar al-Islam, what the status of Muslims living outside of this is, and whether they are obliged to obey Islamic jurisprudence. Susanne Olsson examines the differing understandings of dar al-Islam and dar al-harb, as well as related concepts, such as jihad and takfir. She thereby is able to explore how these concepts have been utilised, transformed and negotiated throughout history. As the subject of Muslims living in Europe is such a topical and sometimes controversial one, this book will appeal to researchers of modern Islam as integral to the Western experience.

Like anywhere else, the present-day Islamic world too is grappling with modernity and postmodernity, secularisation and globalisation. Muslims are raising questions about religious representations and authority. This has given rise to the emergence of alternative Islamic discourses which challenge binary oppositions and dichotomies of orthodoxy and heterodoxy, continuity and change, state and civil society. It also leads to a dispersal of authority, a collapse of existing hierarchical structures and gender roles. This book further argues that the centre of gravity of many of these alternative Islamic discourses is shifting from the Arabic-speaking 'heartland' towards the geographical peripheries of the Muslim world and expatriate Muslims in North America and Europe. At the same time, in view of recent seismic shifts in the political constellation of the Middle East, the trends discussed in this book hold important clues for the possible direction of future developments in that volatile part of the Muslim world.

Like anywhere else, the present-day Islamic world too is grappling with modernity and postmodernity, secularisation and globalisation. Muslims are raising questions about religious representations and authority. This has given rise to the emergence of alternative Islamic discourses which challenge binary oppositions and dichotomies of orthodoxy and heterodoxy, continuity and change, state and civil society. It also leads to a dispersal of authority, a collapse of existing hierarchical structures and gender roles. This book further argues that the centre of gravity of many of these alternative Islamic discourses is shifting from the Arabic-speaking ''heartland'' towards the geographical peripheries of the Muslim world and expatriate Muslims in North America and Europe. At the same time, in view of recent seismic shifts in the political constellation of the Middle East, the trends discussed in this book hold important clues for the possible direction of future developments in that volatile part of the Muslim world.

Like anywhere else, the present-day Islamic world too is grappling with modernity and postmodernity, secularisation and globalisation. Muslims are raising questions about religious representations and authority. This has given rise to the emergence of alternative Islamic discourses which challenge binary oppositions and dichotomies of orthodoxy and heterodoxy, continuity and change, state and civil society. It also leads to a dispersal of authority, a collapse of existing hierarchical structures and gender roles. This book further argues that the centre of gravity of many of these alternative Islamic discourses is shifting from the Arabic-speaking ''heartland'' towards the geographical peripheries of the Muslim world and expatriate Muslims in North America and Europe. At the same time, in view of recent seismic shifts in the political constellation of the Middle East, the trends discussed in this book hold important clues for the possible direction of future developments in that volatile part of the Muslim world.

Like anywhere else, the present-day Islamic world too is grappling with modernity and postmodernity, secularisation and globalisation. Muslims are raising questions about religious representations and authority. This has given rise to the emergence of alternative Islamic discourses which challenge binary oppositions and dichotomies of orthodoxy and heterodoxy, continuity and change, state and civil society. It also leads to a dispersal of authority, a collapse of existing hierarchical structures and gender roles. This book further argues that the centre of gravity of many of these alternative Islamic discourses is shifting from the Arabic-speaking 'heartland' towards the geographical peripheries of the Muslim world and expatriate Muslims in North America and Europe. At the same time, in view of recent seismic shifts in the political constellation of the Middle East, the trends discussed in this book hold important clues for the possible direction of future developments in that volatile part of the Muslim world.

Amr Khaled is an Egyptian Muslim activist and television preacher based in Egypt who encourages both social commitment and individual self-fulfilment. Chosen by Time Magazine as one of the world s 100 most influential people, his prominence in the Arabic-speaking world is unparalleled. During the Mubarak era, his message seemed for the most part apolitical, but after the events of January 2011, he started using more explicitly political language. Susanne Olsson examines the differences between Amr Khaled s pre-revolutionary and post-revolutionary messages and looking in-depth at how deals with the concepts of Islam and modernity. By examining issues such as Amr Khaled s use of mass media, his views on gender role and the nature of political and religious rule, Susanne Olsson offers a book which will appeal to those interested in the changes that Egypt has experienced over the last century."

This volume addresses issues of authority and authenticity related to contemporary interpretations of Islam in a minority setting. Salafism is a contemporary multifaceted and global phenomenon that represents a fundamentalist interpretative stance which appears to be growing among minority Muslims. This book studies a Salafi group in Sweden that is puritan in the sense of avoiding political participation and rejecting jihadism. They strive to imitate the lives of the first generations of Muslims and the prophet Muhammad within their own minority setting, surrounded by a society which in their view is characterized by immorality and capitalism. The group recommends segregation, or even emigration, as a strategy in order to enable people to live proper Muslim lives, in preparation for the Hereafter.

According to many Islamic jurists, the world is divided between dar al-Islam (the abode of Islam) and dar al-harb (the abode of war). This dual division of the world has led to a great amount of juridical discussion concerning what makes a territory part of dar al-Islam, what the status of Muslims living outside of this is, and whether they are obliged to obey Islamic jurisprudence. Susanne Olsson examines the differing understandings of dar al-Islam and dar al-harb, as well as related concepts, such as jihad and takfir. She thereby is able to explore how these concepts have been utilised, transformed and negotiated throughout history. As the subject of Muslims living in Europe is such a topical and sometimes controversial one, this book will appeal to researchers of modern Islam as integral to the Western experience.