Institutt for arkeologi og religionsvitenskap

Tabari: Makers of Islamic Civilization
London: I.B. Tauris 2011

Medieval historian al-Tabari (c. 828-923 CE) was a brilliant scholar of 'Abbasid Baghdad who wrote extensively in all fields of the Islamic science of his day: historiography, scriptural interpretation and jurisprudence. His massive History of the Messengers and Kings is the primary source for the information that we have about Sasanian Persia and the first three centuries of Islam. As well as being a historical record of outstanding importance, it is also of the greatest interest for what is says about the principles of good Islamic governance. In a concise overview of his life, thought and major writings, Ulrika Martensson explores the philosophy and methodology than underpin Tabari's thinking, and places his work in the context of the complex - and sometimes administratively heterogeneous - society that comprised the 'Abbasid Caliphate. Tabari's argument that effective government is dependent on merit, not preferment, and on the separation of political and religious authority, is shown to have much contemporary resonance for Muslims.

Fundamentalism in the Modern World Vol 2: Fundamentalism and Communication: Culture, Media and the Public Sphere (International Library of Political Studies) London: I.B. Tauris 2011

How does religious fundamentalism operate in modern global society? This is the second book in a two-volume set analyzes the dynamics of fundamentalism and its relationship to the modern state, the public sphere and globalization. This volume explores the links between fundamentalism and communication: the rise of fundamentalism as a mass media phenomenon, fundamentalist communication in the public sphere, national cultural identities and the rise of a "global society." Expert scholars in the field address specific contemporary and past fundamentalist movements that have emerged from within mainstream Islam, Christianity, Baha'ism, Hinduism, Judaism and Buddhism. This is an important study of an increasingly significant and virulent aspect of modern society, and will be essential reading in the fields of Religion, Politics, Communications and Media Studies.

Fundamentalism in the Modern World Vol 1: Fundamentalism, Politics and History: The State, Globalisation and Political Ideologies (International Library of Political Studies).
London: I.B. Tauris 2011

How does religious fundamentalism operate in modern global society? This book is the first in a two-volume set that analyzes the dynamics of fundamentalism and its relationship to the modern state, the public sphere and globalization. In this first volume, fundamentalism is approached from the perspective of state and community building, ideology and practices within the context of global society, and the ways in which fundamentalism is intertwined with issues of politics, state power, democracy, globalization, political activism and political ideology. Expert scholars in the field address specific contemporary and past fundamentalist movements that have emerged from within mainstream Islam, Christianity, Baha'ism, Hinduism, Judaism and Buddhism. This is an important study of an increasingly significant and controversial aspect of modern society, and will be essential reading in the fields of Religion, Politics and International Relations.